An Adventure Best Left in Dreams
by HaibaraDaiFan
Summary: Is it possible for an into-DC story to have a realistic OC and IC characters? Well, I hope so, 'cause that's the aim with this story. Join me, an awkward 20 year old with a mediocre amount of intelligence and absolutely no physical abilities as I try to make some sort of reasonable sense of a dream world where my favorite person disdains me. Self-awareness, humor, & drama.
1. Horse Laugh

AN: I take 0 responsibility for this story. I just had to do it. I really did. It was an impulse. And I have over twenty pages so don't think it's going to go away. But I will offer you some hope - it gets better. I just didn't feel like re-writing my opening chapters :D -because I'm super lazy-. If people like this, I'll update within the week. Jussayin.

OH. English is in **bold.**

Chapter 1: Horse Laugh

My stomach hurt so bad, my face sharing the same sentiment. But I just couldn't stop laughing. I had the infamous 'horse laugh' of Westerners on 1000%. And though laughing is supposed to be contagious, I'm pretty darn sure it wasn't in my case.

I tried to regain control of myself, taking deep breaths when my laughing would permit, and making "hmmm" noises in some abstract attempt and taking it down. But people continued to stare, especially the person in front of me.

**"Are you okay?"** Tears began to stream from my eyes until I looked down, realizing I had jack squat with me. But that just sent another storm of laughter through. The boy in front of me was clearly confused.

You see, I was laughing at the insanity of it all. Considering there was enough of it to sink a ship, I was laughing loud enough to cause the entire crime scene investigation team and anyone else in the remote area to stare. Most of those looks were disapproving. I had no purse with me. I took another pat of my pockets while fighting for air to feel something that calmed me down instantly.

I pulled out a group of things clipped together. I was still breathing heavily, wheezing lightly because I have asthma. A social security card from the US, a passport... a visa? And a credit card. All in a name I sure as heck didn't recognize. But my face was printed on my identification documents. My face... just different. Of course it was only natural, considering I was looking at an anime character. It would follow that I would look similar. Except my hair was longer in the picture and right now. Pictures can add ten pounds, but it sure seemed like it had taken them instead.

**"So you do have identification?"** The boy in front of me asked, clearly annoyed. I held it out to him.

"Keisatsu." _Police._ I said, the only word I could come up with. He raised an eyebrow, but took it from me and ran toward a police officer. I stared blankly at the credit card in my hand.

_Hoshino Kanmuri._ I frowned. I was clearly not Japanese. I had never been to Japan and would have no earthly idea how I would've gotten here with a fake name. But if I didn't want to end up in jail under a foreign judicial system, I was going to stick with the idea that my name was indeed Hoshino Kanmuri. That was step one of staying out of jail, I supposed.

I stared down the people around me, still unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Everyone seemed _real_ despite the slight oddity that remained to me, the thing being that I was conscious of the fact that they were supposed to be anime characters. Looking down at my hands, I confirmed that I looked the same. And I was wearing clothes I never thought I'd attempt pulling off. Things like skinny jeans didn't really fit me. I took my hands through my hair and pulled it over my shoulder, amused with the length. A thought occurred to me and I patted at my forehead, feeling bangs. It was similar to a hairstyle I had really admired and even had a few times.

My identification was handed back to me, this time by a relatively young detective with brown hair and a serious yet somewhat kind expression. I subdued my giggles and took it back, staring at the name to try to see why it seemed vaguely familiar to me.

The boy appeared again, his expression less kind and much more serious. I heard the detective ask me something, and though I understood it, I made no effort to answer. Mostly because I was wondering how long it would take me to wake up out of my ridiculous dream.

**"****My name is Edogawa Conan, and I'll be translating for Detective Takagi. He wanted to ask you about what you were doing here at the crime scene."** Man, this kid's English pronunciation was hilarious. Not that I should judge him, I reprimanded myself, because at least he knew the language. I could only say some words and understand some things if people spoke slowly. I leaned back, then looked at Takagi-keiji when I responded.

**"****I honestly have no idea. I woke up here, 'cause this kid was shaking me and there were sirens. I have no idea where I am, or why I'm here."** Conan hesitated before translating, glaring at me like I was lying. I wasn't. I just seemed like I was lying because I found it incredibly hilarious that I was talking to anime characters. Takagi-keiji seemed unamused at my response.

**"****Are you saying you lost your memory?"** Conan asked for the detective. I pondered for a moment. That was probably as close to the truth as it was going to get. I nodded.

**"****I don't remember anything. I only now know my name thanks to my identification."** Conan repeated my words in Japanese, to which Takagi-keiji gave a slight nod before going off to talk to another suspect.

Yes. I was a suspect for a murder. Apparently lying against the door of someone's apartment who just got murdered makes you a person likely to have killed them. Because only really bad murderers fall asleep outside their victim's door. I sighed loudly as Conan followed Takagi-keiji. This was beginning to be a really boring dream. Sure, I liked Conan and Takagi, but I loved Haibara Ai to pieces and neither she nor the professor were anywhere in sight. And if this dream followed anything logically, I'd be deported or something. Paperwork and questions. Why have a dream like this if that was all it would result in?

After they all made their rounds individually talking to the suspects, and Conan making conspicuous up-close inspections of the crime scene, they called us all to stand together to review the facts. I found myself a little nervous standing next to the two others (how typical for there to be three suspects), knowing that one of them was really a murderer. I swallowed, glancing at them to try to gauge which one might've done it so as to stay as far away as possible.

Swallowing and glancing around at other people is apparently suspicious, because the detectives kept glancing at me. Great. I tuned out the explanation of the murder and the times, knowing that if I knew how messed up one of these people were that I was going to find myself curled in a corner. Not that the blood on the floor was that bearable. The other two suspects were a thin, tall woman with wiry black hair and sunken in eyes, and a large bald man with a strong stench. Both looked angry.

"I don't know why you're not considering that foreigner! She's just claiming to have lost her memory to get off the hook!" I jumped, hearing the angry woman's voice. I understood her clearly, too, which felt a bit unsettling. I knew my Japanese skills weren't that great. Everyone turned and looked at me. "And she was laughing! Who else would laugh about someone being murdered!" She added for good measure. My face began to feel hot. The overwhelming feeling of being stared down and out of place was something I was not very good at handling. Anxiety began to build up inside as I stared at my feet. Huh. Flats and skinny jeans.

I heard a familiar voice come from a slumped-over Mouri Kogoro. I looked back up and raised my eyebrows. How did I miss him being tranquilized? Conan was nowhere to be seen, either.

"Hoshino-san is not the murderer. The true culprit..." I felt relief wash over me with that statement, knowing that once this deduction was over, I wasn't going to be sent to jail. At least, not for murder. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting on the next words. "...Kirino-san, it's you." The man, apparently Kirino-san, snarled. I began inching away from him through the apparently brilliant deduction by our number one detective.

I wasn't paying much attention until I felt myself bump into something and everything went silent. I stared down in horror to my left, where Mouri Kogoro had fallen over.

"Mouri-san?" Someone asked. And that's when I saw Conan, hiding behind a potted plant a few feet away. His eyes were filled with fear, and I just knew he was about to run out and make an awkward and overly obvious attempt to set the man back up. And then Mouri Kogoro made things worse by snoring. I stifled a laugh.

**"****Nggggh. Sorry, my throat." **I made a similar noise as Kogoro's snoring and grabbed at my throat. I could see Conan's stare of disbelief. I then looked down again, pretending to be shocked and threw my hands into the air. **"****Oh! Goodness, sorry for running into you!"** I hoped no one would notice just how long the man had been lying sideways and grabbed him by his shoulders, heaving him back up into his normal position. I did this while trying to look like I was just trying to show my concern, sticking my face into his sleeping one. **"****A-Are you okay? **Daijobu desu ka?" I repeated in Japanese, realizing that Mouri most likely didn't know English. I watched Conan staring out of the corner of my eye, and finally, he stuttered into the mouthpiece.

"A-Ah, no problem, Hoshino-san. I'm fine. The victim was..." He continued, hardly skipping a beat. I sighed in relief again. Until I realized, as they put the suspect in handcuffs and shooed him out to a police car, that I had clearly made it known that I knew Conan was pretending to be Kogoro. I didn't know if that was a bad thing or not, but some part of me didn't feel like I wanted that to be mounted to the suspicion he already had of me.

**"****We haven't found any relatives for you. At all. The address you have on file is to a hotel." **Conan informed me at my feet. I took the paper he held out with the hotel name and address. He was giving me a glare that sent chills down my spine. Usually observing that glare made me giddy, or something, but it just freaked me out now that I was receiving it. Suddenly I smiled, squatting down to be eye level.

**"****How does such a young child speak such good English?"** I asked, my smile getting wider as fear replaced his confidence. He began to struggle with something to say, and I stood back up. I saw Mouri Kogoro coming toward me, his face beaming. Of course, he was gloating on his successful deduction. I smiled and bowed slightly.

"Mouri-san." He laughed a little and nodded back. He planted his hand roughly on Conan's head.

"Sorry this kid was bothering ya." I smiled.

"Then..." I bowed again, excusing myself. I heard a faint protest from the shrunken teen, but I walked myself out of the building and went to the street, starting to feel anxiety build up inside of me yet again. Now that the hysteria of waking up in such a situation was gone, I was beginning to realize my position. I didn't know what I could really do with this address, and I wasn't one for just aimlessly doing things. That was when I saw a red sports car. Satou-keiji was walking towards her vehicle.

"Satou-keiji?" I yelled, running up to her. Her hair cut made her look cooler and edgier than it seemed to me before, and some part of me resisted touching it. Her dark eyes gave me a once-over, probably trying to discern what my intentions were.

"Hoshino-san...?" She said slowly. Her memory served her well. I smiled and held out the piece of paper. She slowly took it. After reading it, she gave it back, a questioning look on her face.

"I want to go... here." I poked at the paper. This was beginning to test my limits of Japanese. Her lips turned into a frown. I braced myself for "I'm not a taxi" when Takagi-keiji appeared.

"Satou-san! This is Hoshino Kanmuri, she claims to have lost her memory, and that's the only place we have on record for her. I don't think she knows how to get there and she doesn't speak a lot of Japanese..." I was a bit shocked to see Takagi come to my aid. I flashed him a smile of appreciation. He gave Satou a bit of a sheepish grin as she glared at him, possibly because he sounded like he was telling her what to do. Her hands rested on her hips. She looked back at me and I tried to look as sweet as possible. I think it worked, because she sighed and pointed to the back seat of her car.

The interior was clean and sleek, just like the outside. It even smelled like a new car still, probably due to the air freshener. I sat down carefully, and closed the door behind me. For a moment I was confused when Satou got in on the right an Takagi on the left, but then I remembered that they drove on the other side of the road here. I made sure to buckle my seat belt, just in case Satou had any crazy driving ideas during our trip.

The ride there was fairly silent, since neither were willing to engage in an English conversation with a stranger in the back seat. I did hear a "hold on" at one point, where both Takagi and I braced ourselves for a sharp turn. I still about knocked myself out on the window. We pulled up to a tall hotel building, reaching heights that I couldn't confirm from my view so close to the entrance.

"We're here." Satou stated. No one moved, and I eventually figured out that they were done with assisting me. I thanked them and quickly got out. In order to not seem too awkward, I took confident-looking strides to the glass doors, only to feel my stomach drop as I stepped into the lobby.

The ceiling soared upwards, creating a dramatic and open atmosphere. There was a large fountain in the middle with sleek stones and subtle lighting. The entire place looked pristine and high-class, with gold-colored everything, set off with tones of deep brown. I swallowed as I stared back at the row of attendants behind the counter, standing straight with perfectly pressed uniforms. I looked around timidly, searching for a line I could join. Seeing that there was none, I strode up to the nearest attendant.

**"****Can you tell me what my room number is?"** I asked, sliding my identification across the cool marble counter top. I must've intimidated the girl, because her eyebrows knit together and she muttered something like 'one moment please', and scurried over to an older woman at the other end of the counter. The older woman held her head high and walked calmly over to me. She smiled flawlessly as the first girl took glances between the both of us nervously.

**"****How can I be of assistance?"** She asked. I pointed to the identification.

**"****Can you tell me what my room number is?"** I repeated. She gently picked up my card and looked back at me.

**"****Of course. Just one moment, please."** One hand held the card out for her viewing purposes and the other expertly keyed in the information. I noticed her lips turn downward and her eyes narrow in frustration as she repeated the process three more times, hitting the keys a little harder than necessary. She then slid the card back to me. **"****I apologize, but that name is not registered with us."** I smiled weakly back, feeling the heat return to my face. I felt like an idiot. But one more thought came to my mind, and I used my last ounces of courage to be able to ask the question,

**"****Sorry... could you tell me how to get to Beika City, 2****nd ****District, 22****nd ****street?" **The woman blinked for a moment, then smiled and pulled a post-it note and began to write directions as she told them to me. After she handed it to me, I bowed, thanked her, and left. I grasped the note tightly in my hand. If this was a dream – as it must be - I might as well take my chances.

* * *

Review if you want more of my nonsense. :) P.S., I came up with the name after watching Rachel &amp; Jun's (they're jvloggers) video about how people come up with anime names and the such. If you've seen that video, do you understand my identification name? Eh? Eh? No? Okay, I'll leave you alone.


	2. Starstruck

Chapter 2: Starstruck

It turns out that even in my dreams I hate going strange places by myself. I debated with myself at every turn if I was going in the right direction. Did I pass my turn? Is it really fifty friggen street signs later or did I misread the signs? Right or left? What if she was wrong? Which way is north? My legs were on fire, considering I never walked that far on a regular basis. Who walks for two hours just to get to someone's house? I would just take my car...

It was well into night time when I reached the -hopefully- correct street. I began to feel uneasy, looking over my shoulder every second in case some deranged person was following me or a mugger was planning on attacking me. In addition, I felt mounting dread that I might not be in the right place.

That was until I saw the professor's unique house. It looked like none other, and his yellow beetle signified to me that there was no doubt that it was the correct house. Except now I didn't know what to do. Just... knock on the door, explain that I have nowhere to go, I know everyone already, and wanted to know if they could let me stay with them? That would fly. Yep. Totally. I sighed deeply, sitting down against the wall around Agasa Hiroshi's house. I let another sigh go, one more of relief for my stinging legs.

I stopped wondering how I was going to approach them and stared at Kudo Shinichi's gate, where I knew Haibara Ai had once laid, unconscious, soaking wet in a lab coat. I smiled to myself, regaining a little hope. If the professor took in a random girl once, twice couldn't hurt, right? Except I wasn't a kid. Or shrunk. Or an important piece to the Detective Conan puzzle. I was just an idiot dreaming ridiculous things.

"Who are you?" My blood ran cold and I felt fear course through me. The voice was so familiar I could scream, but the fear I felt at being discovered right here, right now, by none other than Haibara Ai had me frozen. How could I have not heard the gate? I turned my head slowly, staring straight into unforgiving eyes. I noticed she had a bag over her shoulder. Had she planned on going shopping?

**"****I... I..." **I couldn't come up with words, feeling awestruck the way many would feel when they meet their favorite star. It hurt to see her frown. She slowly backed up into a clearer view for anyone in the house. The light flooding from the windows brightened up her face, revealing the striking color of her hair – that red! - and the aquamarine in her eyes.

"Hakase!" She called, her eyes never leaving me. I began to feel panicked, and swung my arms wildly.

**"****N-No, I... I was just... resting."** I finished lamely. She didn't look very amused. Funny how no one here did... Within moments, Agasa-hakase came to the gate, swinging it open.

"What's wrong, Ai-kun?" His eyes rested on me, and his eyebrows shot up. Even in person, he seemed a bit comical, with his toddling stride and his round eyes behind his round glasses. "Who's this?"

"The girl you and Kudo-kun spoke about when you thought I wasn't listening, most likely." _Eh?!_ I spluttered, no words coming to my aid yet again. Agasa's reaction was similar, but it seemed like he was more concerned that Haibara had heard a conversation the two guys had tried keeping from her. Did that mean... they thought I could be a part of the Organization? That's the only thing they ever hid from her...

And being the idiot I am in awkward situations, I just decided to start spitting out stupid things.

**"****Hey now! I just needed to rest. And... I uh... you know... I'm not a bad person!"** Haibara's suspicious gaze never left me. Never changed. I wanted to cry so bad. I always wanted to enjoy her company, not feel like she hated me.

**"****Come inside."** She said smoothly, motioning toward the door the professor had left open. I stood slowly and obliged. It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go. When I stepped into the house, I felt a really weird sense of awe wash over me. So many good scenes occurred here. The place was much bigger in person than it appeared on screen. I looked around, wide-eyed, before sitting on one of the couches. I couldn't help but run my fingers over the material of the furniture, taking in all its qualities.

"Edogawa-kun, you need to come over immediately." Haibara said into her phone, her eyes still glued to me. She then terminated the call with no hesitation, not waiting a single moment for him to respond. And I started giggling. Her eyes narrowed. I felt the need to explain, but then Agasa came into view with three cups of what I must assume was tea. He placed one in front of me, then sat next to Haibara, a stern look on his face. I smiled weakly, feeling more and more like I wanted to wake up. I met them, and they aren't that pleasant when they don't know you. The end. Send me home. Wake me up.

**"****You were a suspect in a case earlier today, and now you're at our house. Explain yourself."** Haibara said, then took a sip of her tea. I squirmed.

**"****Coincidence?"** My voice tone didn't sound anymore convincing than my word choice. She deadpanned. I sighed. **"****I don't really know. I just came here because I have nowhere else to go."** I decided honesty would be better than trying to come up with an excuse. I was bad at lying. Terrible. I heard Haibara Ai's light voice translating for Agasa's sake. I took the time to take a drink of the tea, which took quite a while since I tipped the cup slowly, trying to test how burning hot the liquid would be. Every time I would get close, I would jerk it back, afraid I'd burn my lip. After doing this over five times, I finally took a tiny sip, my face scrunching up from the heat. I burned my tongue way too easily.

I offered another weak smile as they stared at me. Finally, Haibara spoke again.

**"****How did you find this place?"** Well that was nice and unexplainable. I fidgeted with the handle of my cup.

**"****I... found it. Online. At an internet cafe. I was just looking around and uh... heard about the famous inventor, Agasa Hiroshi. Then there was this thing about some kids called the Detective Boys and Conan-kun was in it."** Haibara's face showed her horror, but she promptly translated. Agasa looked just about as horrified. I couldn't blame them. If you could find the elusive Sherry's home by doing an amateur internet search, they were in deep trouble.

It was about then that Edogawa Conan burst into the house, calling out his intrusion. "What was so urgent that you had to call me like that, Hai-" He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing me.

"This was the woman from earlier, yes?" She pointed to me like an object. Gee, thanks. Love you, too.

"Hoshino-san..." He muttered, a frown on his face. I just wanted them to stop feeling so threatened around me.

**"****Look, I noticed that Mouri-san was actually unconscious when I bumped into him, okay? That's when Conan-kun appeared with that bow tie," **\- I pointed to the thing secured around his neck - **"****and I just put two and two together. It's not my business, and I made Mouri-san fall over, so I just covered for him. I'm not going to tell anyone, alright?"** This explanation did little to relieve their skepticism.

"She was outside the house. She claimed she found our address online along with information about Hakase and the kids. And you." I shuddered at the way her voice dropped dangerously with her last sentence. Or fragment. Whatever. He frowned deeply. May I note that they totally glossed over my explanation? I felt irritation build inside – the same that always did when I felt invisible.

"If what she says is true, then I don't see why we would need to continue this conversation." Conan and Ai shared an intense look, one that screamed "ESP!". Together they looked back at me. Oh hey, guys. Not like I've been here THE WHOLE TIME. Haibara picked up her cup and drank from it as Conan spoke.

**"****Then please keep your promise. We apologize for being so rude. If you don't need anything else, then..."** I noticed Agasa frown at Conan's hospitality fail. I chuckled uneasily.

**"****Actually... I don't have any place to stay." **Haibara set her jaw. It sent another jolt of pain to my heart. The suggestion of me being here made her nervous and on-edge. She had no idea how much I adored her – how I'd never wish to cause her harm. Conan sent Agasa a threatening glare, but it did little to stop the man from opening his mouth.

"We have an extra bedroom you could use for a couple of days. It's the least we could do." He sent Conan a glare back. After a moment, Conan translated for him. I guess it did mean a lot for someone to admit they knew that Conan was pulling the strings but wasn't going to tell.

"Isn't this basically blackmail, Hakase?" Haibara hissed, putting her cup back down angrily. "With this idiot" - she jabbed a thumb toward Conan - "she'll get even more suspicious in no time. What if she suddenly feels like having a guest room for a couple of days isn't good enough?" Agasa frowned.

"Ai-kun." He responded a bit sharply, silencing the girl. I felt bad, but I wasn't exactly looking forward to the idea of sleeping on the streets. The three passed a few more looks before Agasa stood, a smile on his face.

"I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Agasa Hiroshi, nice to meet you." Just as Conan opened his mouth to translate, I found myself standing and bowing slightly before saying:

"Nice to meet you. My name is Hoshino Kanmuri. I'll be in your care." Everyone stared. Right. They didn't notice I understood what they were saying. I especially didn't care for the look coming from Haibara. "My... Japanese is very... eh... not good." I added, finding myself embarrassed at my lack of skills.

"I've had enough of this." Haibara stood as well, swiftly passing by Conan and circling the couches to head down the stairs. I didn't think telling her to wait would be a good idea, so I just stared at her retreating form. This was beginning to be more like a nightmare to me. Agasa's smile broke the awkward intensity.

"Your room is this way."

* * *

I'm shameless. I really am. I was sitting in the guest bed, staring at the door. Gathering my courage to do nothing short of spying on Haibara Ai. I pretended to sleep – and at one point tried to convince myself to – and heard Agasa-hakase say his good night to Haibara about ten minutes ago. It only took that long for the faint sound of his snoring to reach my ears.

I wondered what she was doing. Was she sleeping for once? Or was she working on the antidote? Speaking of, I really wanted to know a few things about that... I sighed softly, trying to keep my noises as quiet as possible. She wasn't about to tell some suspicious stranger about things she didn't even tell Conan.

A thought similar to the repulsive "YOLO" entered my intelligence-lacking mind and I began my journey to the door. I felt nerves begin to take over my being. I glanced back at my bed, which felt so far away. Ugh. I was such a coward.

A deep breath or five later, and I made it into the hallway. I stood still at my doorway, listening for signs of the young scientist. Nothing. There was nothing to hear but the peaceful snoring of one Agasa Hiroshi. My eyes watched the dark path further down the stairs to a place that was often set up to be Haibara's lab. It was so dark. And scary. And she'd kill me.

My heart was pounding in my ears as I slowly crept down the stairs, looking like an over-dramatic fool tip-toeing in a children's show. As I got closer to the door at the end, which provided a soft glow of light from underneath the door, I could hear the familiar noise of someone typing. The giddy feeling a child gets when playing hide-and-seek and someone is just inches away from discovering them overtook me and I almost died in silent laughter. A few breaths calmed me down, and I took a daring chance.

I reached out, my fingers flinching at the cool doorknob. I turned it very slowly, praying that she wasn't standing on the other side with a gun or something. Not that she should be able to have one, but you never know. I was amazed to find that the door opened so easily.

The clicking noises from her keyboard became substantially louder and I swallowed my nerves again. I crept closer, pressing my forehead against the crack between the door and the frame, my hand holding onto the handle still.

The lights were off except a desk lamp. Her computer screen cast more light than the lamp, though. I could see her small frame on her pumped-up computer chair, her fingers dancing across the keyboard in perfect rhythm. I wondered what she was working on...

I shifted my weight back and opened the door a bit more. My heart kept making me deaf, pounding so loudly I might as well have a stereo blaring next to me. I stuck my head in the wider opening, pleased to see that she hadn't stopped typing, her gaze still locked on the screen. I then noticed that she had headphones in. That's why she couldn't hear my absurdly loud heartbeat. I took advantage of my time to look around the room, where an entire half had been fully converted into a lab space. Vials, a Bunsen burner or two, flasks, some other random things I couldn't identify for the life of me. On the other side was a cot.

She didn't even bother walking back up the stairs to her room? My heart began to feel heavy, the room having a bit of an oppressive atmosphere. I recalled the manga where she apologized to her parents. For this. This thing that all those following the series, and Kudo Shinichi himself, hailed as the answer to all the problems. The antidote.

I jumped at a sudden sound – a sniffle. It came, of course, from the object of my stalking. I immediately thought of running out the door, hoping that she wouldn't notice me clambering up the stairs. But instead I stood frozen.

Because the light of the computer screen was being peculiarly reflected... by a tear on the girl's cheek. She quickly brushed it off, without so much as pausing in her typing. What exactly was it that she was doing? My curiosity got the better of me, the back of my mind telling me that this was a dream, so she _probably_ wouldn't _actually_ kill me.

So my infinite insanity led me to step into the room, and eventually a few feet from her. I hoped that she couldn't feel my presence – as I felt others' sometimes – and focused on the words she had been so fervently typing. At first I felt stupid – they were Japanese characters, and I was far from understanding them. Until they began to change into English. I decided to leave that oddity to itself and began to read as fast as possible. I probably had only a few more seconds until she noticed me.

_"Onee-chan, I..."_ I felt my heart twist. She was writing to her sister. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I continued to read, despite knowing Haibara's hatred of people prying into her personal business unwelcome. She was writing it like a journal, but it addressed her sister, even stopping and asking her questions. If only Akemi hadn't died. I felt more and more rooted to the spot as time began to pass. I don't know how long it had been when I began to sniffle.

And I sure as heck don't know how long I'd been in there when I realized she was reaching up to take out her headphones. I had very few options at this point, and seeing her chair begin to turn in slow motion, I did the only thing I could.

**"Hey little girl, do you all have any medicine? My stomach hurts..." **I took a few steps as I said this, holding one hand to my stomach. I hoped the tears in my eyes would be more convincing of stomach pain than of me reading her personal journal.

She spun around in an instant, smashing her hand toward the screen, effectively turning it off while taking me in with wide eyes. Eyes that were shimmering with tears of her own. She began to splutter, clearly caught off guard. Now would probably be the worst time to note how adorable she was.

**"H-How did you get in here?!" **Apparently that was the only thing that made it to her mouth in a reasonable amount of time. I looked around innocently, as if I had just begun to see the place.

**"Huh? Oh, the door was open a crack. What is this place? It looks like a science lab..."** I tried to ignore the glare she was sending me as she hopped off of her chair and started literally pushing me out. It was kind of funny because she could really only push on my legs. I held back a snicker.

**"I don't recall inviting you into my personal space. I'll get you some medicine, just get out!"** Her voice was hitting notes considered amongst the classification of "shrill". I obliged, finding myself outside her door very quickly. Once she got me out of her lab, she shut the door behind us, pulling out a key and locking it. Wordlessly, she brushed past me and ascended the stairs. I followed her, starting to feel guilt pile up inside.

There was a reason she waited until everyone was gone and asleep, and locked (though, for the record, it was unlocked when I opened it) herself in a dark room before typing those things. She didn't intend for anyone to see it. And I had. With no permission.

We arrived at the bathroom, where she climbed a step stool and brought down some antacids.

**"Here. Take two."** I nodded slowly, watching her leave again. At least these wouldn't kill you if you didn't _really_ have a stomach ache. With all the emotions that had been tumbling through me in the past hour, I really did feel a tad queasy. I began to take them, my face twisting from the disgusting taste. A glass of water appeared, and behind it was a tired, unhappy Haibara. **"This will help. After you take it, go back to bed."** I nodded again. She searched my eyes for a moment, invoking a feeling that just exponentially increased my guilt. Finally, she sighed. **"Goodnight."**

**"Goodnight. Have sweet dreams, Haibara."** She stopped short, and I recognized my mistake in my meaningful words. Before I had a chance to sloppily cover up my word choice, she continued on her way. She hadn't introduced herself. And up until now, I had used mostly-appropriate honorifics. It would be strange to address her in such a way. If anything, knowing her name, I should've called her Ai-chan.

It just didn't feel right, though. I took the second antacid and gulped down the water, trying to wash away the lingering aftertaste... and my guilt.

* * *

Because I got three reviews on a story as ridiculous as this, I made good on my promise and brought out another chapter within the week.. :) My apologies for the comedic mood going down... I'm not the best.

**Haibara Ai z **\- I'm a very strange person... when I read your review I literally jumped up and down for a second saying "YES". Mostly because you commented on the very things I intended to achieve with this story. I hope this remains piercingly honest.

**The Mysterious Mr. Anonymous** \- Great to hear... still have your interest?

**Detective Kat **\- I bring more nonsense :D My meeting didn't go as hoped T.T


	3. At Risk

Chapter 3: At Risk

I was going to win this staring match. Only thanks to the quivering of Agasa-hakase's eyebrows over there in the corner. I was sitting across from Haibara Ai, who had her arms folded and a very intense glare coming from her eyes. I fought down all the feelings of suicide for ever attempting to go against her will with my overwhelming desire to go with them. I would go with them no matter what it took.

"Ai-kun..." I felt my lip twitch upward involuntarily, hearing the sign that the older man had finally cracked. Haibara scowled. "...I think it'd be good to have more supervision. Kanmuri-kun would be helpful." I felt a grin take over my features, partly because I had just gotten my way, and partly because he had called me Kanmuri-kun, which made me feel super accepted. My favorite person in the whole wide world (which happened to be a world where Detective Conan was real) reacted the polar opposite to his sentence, sending me one last angry look before giving one to Agasa.

"Then I'm not going." She huffed, standing up and beginning her routine storm-off to her room. It was day three of being here (longest dream I've ever had.), and after avoiding me and saying spiteful things about privacy, she'd just slink off to her room or the lab. I wasn't sure which since she declared that I had a twenty-foot restraining order. I wasn't going to bring up the point that I was very often less than twenty feet away from her, such as now. I stayed in the house the last two days as the kids had school and was bored out of my mind (had a lot of temptation resistance exercises – otherwise known as familiarizing myself with all of the TV shows on during the day time). But yesterday the Detective Boys had come over to play games and talked about the camping trip they were having the next day.

Which was today. As much as I had little patience for these kids on-screen, they weren't terrible in person, and even more fun when you're bored out of your mind, freeloading with no plans to go anywhere because eventually you'll wake up. I don't think Agasa cared for that part. I knew Haibara didn't. At all. She probably thought I was just making their situation worse. After the first night, I hadn't dropped any more clues of my knowing anything more than I should. Sometimes I wanted to just explode with information, but I remembered the tear on her face in that dark room and I immediately managed to keep it shut.

**"****Ayumi-chan would be disappointed."** I responded instantly, the words coming out of my mouth faster than it took me to think. She stopped. A tense moment of silence ensued, and I began to wonder if it was all that suspicious that I realized how important Ayumi was to Haibara. I watched her turn her head to Agasa.

"I'm sitting up front. By. Myself." Agasa sighed in relief. "Of course, Ai-kun." He smiled, and she continued down the stairs. I began counting people with my fingers. Agasa. Conan. Ai. Ayumi. Genta. Mitsuhiko. Me. It was hard enough fitting three normal people in the back of the beetle, let alone five. I remembered that Conan would sometimes share the front seat with Ai.

**"****Uhm... not to be difficult, but how are we supposed to fit five people in the back seat?" **I forgot that Agasa couldn't speak English, and only remembered when he stared blankly at me. So I tried the next best thing. **"****You,"-** I pointed at him - **"****me,"** \- I pointed at myself - **"****Conan-kun, Ai-chan, Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko-kun, and Genta-kun. Kuruma?"** I finished with the word for car. He furrowed his brows for a moment, trying to decipher what I meant. It must've hit him the second Haibara reappeared with her bags.

"Oh! Ai-kun... I don't think we can fit everyone in the car if you sit up front alone." A sinister smile made its way on her face. Dang. She was sneakier than I had predicted.

"I guess that means _one of us_ can't go." She sent another glare my way, without bothering to say her words in English. I think most of them picked up on my ability (strangely heightened) to understand Japanese, regardless of my inadequacy in speaking it.

**"****Or you could share your seat."** I retorted. She shrugged.

"I have my stipulations." She turned back to Agasa, leaning slightly on a suitcase. "It's either me or her." I could see the sweat forming on the old man's forehead. Poor guy.

**"****Unless someone sits on my lap!"** Agasa wasn't sure what to make of my outburst. We both stared Haibara down until she finally gave in and translated my suggestion. He smiled.

"Sure, if you're okay with that. We'll be close, but as long as the bags fit, we should be fine." I saw a twinkle in Haibara's eyes.

**"****That's all you planned on bringing, so don't try making the car too full on your luggage alone."** That was another thing. I had purchased a small wardrobe on day one, using the credit card I had in my possession. I could only hope that it wasn't maxed out when we reached the register. Agasa offered to buy my things, but I refused. I was already being a huge burden as it was.

I was actually getting a little sick of Haibara's antics when suddenly a miniature army of children burst through the door.

"Agasa-hakase! We're ready!" Ayumi yelled, a giant smile on her tiny face. I immediately felt my heart grow warm. Behind the mob was Conan, who somehow had gotten elected to carry 90% of the bags. I stifled my laughter. He looked just about as amused as Haibara had been about my staying here.

I went down the stairs to my room and grabbed my bag I had already packed and heaved it over my shoulder. As I ascended the stairs, I wondered if Haibara was bringing so much stuff because she anticipated the inevitable – a case. I shook my head. We were supposed to just go camping for two days and come back, thanks to a series of holidays backed unto a weekend. As long as I didn't have to see any dead bodies, I was good.

"Kanmuri-nee-san is coming with us?" I heard Ayumi's voice. Agasa confirmed, and once I reached the top of the stairs, I was met with a suspicious stare from one shrunken Kudo Shinichi. I sighed. Would they stop treating me like a criminal if I told them I knew everything? But then I'd have to explain how. The whole group of us trudged out to the car, and Agasa began cramming things into his small vehicle.

Explaining that you're someone from the 'real' world who is dreaming their world up isn't something that I was particularly inclined to do. I might land myself in the looney bin. I was a bit spaced out by the time I sat in the car, with Ayumi next to me, then Mitsuhiko, and lastly Genta, who slammed the door shut on his side. He looked like he was half laying across the door to fit as it was. My door was still open and I began to shut it, only to find a pink-faced Conan standing in the way.

Oh yeah. I could only see the back of Haibara Ai's head, but I just _knew_ she was smirking. Her door was closed and locked, for good measure. She might think she was subjecting Conan to torture without my knowledge, but she was wrong. I tried my hardest not to give a creeper grin when I held out my arms.

**"****Come on."** He nodded, half climbing, half being lifted by me into my lap. I was quickly over the awkwardness of having a teenager in a child's body sitting on me when I fully began to realize how much I could torment him the entire ride. **"****In America, teenagers often pile into cars and sit on each other's laps since there's no room. Don't feel too bad."** I said while taking the seat belt and strapping it around both of us.

**"****H-huh? Er... yeah. Okay." **He mumbled, looking down at his hands. Ayumi looked up and frowned. If his face was the same shade of red his ears had turned, I couldn't be surprised with Ayumi's jealous reaction. Mitsuhiko looked over now, too. The car began moving.

"Hey Conan, why do you look so weird?" Conan's head jerked up and he sent Genta a nasty look.

"I don't look weird! Mind your own business." He grumbled at the end, turning his face to try to focus outside the window. I cast a glance toward Haibara. Our eyes met. I grinned. She frowned.

**"****You know, I'm so glad there's someone here who can speak English. Ai-chan doesn't like talking to me." **I said, aiming my voice to Conan. He shifted uncomfortably. He probably hoped this ride would go by quickly and silently.

**"****She can be like that..."** He said quietly, hoping to stay within the bounds of neutral diplomacy on both sides. I snickered, pressing my head against the glass of the window.

**"****So how do young kids speak such fluent English?"** I felt him flinch. I caught a wary stare come from the front passenger seat.

**"****I... spent some time in America. So did Haibara."** I sighed, rolling my eyes. He wasn't being much fun, and I was just raising my suspicious meter for the wonderful Haibara Ai.

We spent another hour in the car, mostly filled with the kids' singing some random song out of key. Every time Conan finally joined in, I pinched him discreetly. I wasn't about to sit through tone-deaf hollering. Every time I did, he would look back at me in alarm, then I would apologize. I think the third time he finally got the message. Hearing that there was at least another half hour to go, I decided to go for another fun question.

**"****So how did you become such a great detective?"** That made him jump, and he immediately looked over to our right, seeing if the kids had picked up on anything. Thankfully, all three were sleeping now, putting the songs to rest. Plus, they didn't understand much English.

**"****Oi... you said you wouldn't tell anyone."** He hissed, anger only looking a little funny to me on his childish features. Even more amusing since I could only see part of his face when he turned toward me. I shrugged.

**"****I'm not telling anyone. I was just asking how." **Conan sighed.

**"****Kogoro Mouri taught me a lot. My cousin, too."** I snorted. He flinched again, but I let it go. Yeah, his 'cousin', Shinichi. I noticed that I hadn't gotten any dirty looks from the front in awhile and realized that Haibara was asleep, her head lolled to the side. The hair toward the back of her head was a bit of a mess, slowly becoming a frizz ball. I smiled to myself. Maybe I should try sleeping, too. I normally always did on car rides, anyway. I pressed my head against the window again, but this time I noticed that it gave me a better view of Conan's face. His jet black hair was close to my nose, threatening to tickle it. His blue eyes were slightly downcast, and he looked as though he were concentrating deeply.

I had often wondered why everyone who had been around him still believed he was a child. I guess it was hard for me to believe he was a teen now that he was sitting in my lap, possibly the shortest child in the car. I pushed away a thought about pinching his kiddy chubby-ish cheeks.

As I drifted towards sleep, watching his face as my eyes slowly closed, I muttered some words to him – or more to myself.

**"****You really do look like a child."**

* * *

"...Kanmuri-nee-chan... Kanmuri-nee-chan..." I heard the words somewhere in the distance. **"****Please let go of me!"** I jumped, my eyes wide. I swung my head around, trying to get a quick baring as to where I was. I found myself still in the car, with Agasa and Haibara gone, as well as the kids. Ayumi stood at my open door, staring up at me. I looked down. I was hugging tightly to one Edogawa Conan, whose face was getting red again. I released him and rubbed my eyes. He took the chance to unbuckle us and quickly jump off my lap.

**"****Sorry, I was sleeping..."** I explained needlessly. He had already ditched me, and a non-English speaking Ayumi was just staring at me still. I offered her a smile as I got out slowly, stretching my legs. Man, my knees hurt. I noticed her smile back, then run over to where the rest were already setting up.

As I was waking up and becoming more alert, I became more and more aware that we were camping. I had gone camping, like, twice in my entire life. I was already out of my teenage years. I hated bugs. Things that made noises, crawled, crept, slithered, bit, or stung. Basically everything _outside_. I also knew almost nothing when it came to putting up tents and all that jazz. Thankfully, the younger ones had taken on that task with Agasa-hakase.

Unfortunately, the only obviously available task was with Haibara, who was pulling out a large pot and a cutting board. She hated my guts right now, and I sucked at cooking. But I couldn't just stand here and do nothing. Sighing, I began walking up to her, ready to assist in making something edible. Out of nowhere, a young woman in a pink athletic shirt came jogging up, stopping where Haibara was setting up.

The young woman had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail and round brown eyes. She smiled sweetly at Ai and bent her knees to become shorter.

"Little girl, do you all have an extra knife? We forgot to bring one." She pointed to an ambiguous location behind her. I finally reached Haibara's side, a feeling of panic rising in me. She might as well have been asking for a murder weapon. With narrowed eyes, I placed my hand protectively over the bag of things we brought with us.

**"****Sorry, we don't." **Right. Most people don't speak English in Japan. At least not enough to go beyond basic introductions, just like my Japanese skill. The woman stared at me, confused. I looked down at Ai, a serious expression on my face. She looked about as perplexed as the stranger. **"****Tell her we don't."**

The problem with being on Haibara Ai's bad side is that if you demand she does something, she feels the impulsive need to defy you. I felt her small hand forcefully remove mine, searching the contents and pulling out a fairly hefty knife.

"Just bring it back later." She stated simply. The woman cast another uncertain glance at me before thanking Haibara and jogging back. I felt anger and fear mix together inside me, my fingers dancing against the side of my leg in a poor attempt to reign in my emotions.

**"****Wh-Why did you just do that, Haibara!? I get that you don't like me, but I wouldn't demand such a thing unless if it was important. She could use that to kill someone!" **I burst. She stopped pulling items out of the bag when I addressed her as "Haibara" again. At my last sentence, her eyes narrowed.

**"****Or, Hoshino-san, she could be cutting vegetables. You should've been trying to find a job or something instead of watching all those crime dramas on Hakase's TV." **I grit my teeth.

**"****You **_**know**_**what happens when you all go with Conan-kun! Why would you give a random stranger a knife?" **Again, she regarded me with suspicion and annoyance. I wasn't great in the self-control department today.

**"****And what exactly happens when we go with Edogawa-kun?"** I swallowed. I had no reason to assume that they would run into a case, since I had hardly been with them. I began to falter beneath her sharp gaze. It only worsened when I noticed Conan pop out of nowhere, giving me a similar look.

**"****Whatever."** I hissed, turning on my heel and walking away, back toward the car. I didn't like throwing tantrums, but Haibara had her share already and I just couldn't handle it. I was antisocial by nature and being around strangers, regardless of the fact that I knew them, drained me quickly. I kept walking, beginning to pick up my pace.

I just wanted to go home. I wanted to wake up. But in my dream I'd already fallen asleep. Why didn't I wake up in the real world? Why didn't I wake up at home, safe? I was done with this dream. I was done being treated like a criminal by characters I thought were amazing. I was done getting my fantasy completely smashed by the reality that they couldn't stand me. I was annoyed with them, too.

The more I stomped, the more I realized that I had reached the road. I was walking on it now. And I had yet to see the bright yellow beetle. Suddenly brought out of my selfish thoughts, I spun around, searching for the vehicle I had left no more than ten minutes ago. I retraced my steps, coming to the place where I was fairly certain we had left the vehicle. I looked again all around, still not seeing it. I felt panic rise again and I tore off toward the group. Once they were in my line of sight, I yelled.

**"****The car is missing!"**

* * *

Thank you everyone for the reviews. I don't own Detective Conan, and I can't promise to update. Would really appreciate to hear feedback!

**Guest** \- Thank you :)

**The Mysterious Mr. Anonymous** \- Glad to know! Trying to keep it real ;)

**Glasses freak** \- I diiiiiid :) Do you still love it? XD

**Still-On-Hiatus** \- Wow! Thank you so much! Your review really meant a lot to me! In fact, it really prompted me to think more on this story and post another chapter. I actually had this and another already written, and am considering continuing it.


	4. Asthma

Chapter 4: Asthma

The fun thing about being me is...

Yeah, nothing was coming to mind. I was now sitting in the corner of our tent, my arms crossed, my fingers pinching at my skin. I was not going to cry. I was not going to cry. It didn't matter. It wasn't a big deal. Their reactions were understandable. No one's perfect. They're human. Probably.

My hand flew from my arm to pat against my knee, trying to pull myself from my mind. I'd been restricted to the inside of the tent as they went on round three of searching around for the car. The police were now involved, but no one had come to question me. No one wanted to talk to me.

I was technically the last one with the car. And when I went to the car, it was magically missing. And apparently that makes me likely to have caused it to go missing. Or for me to have left it open to someone to steal.

But if someone was set on stealing it, they didn't need an unlocked car, right? I mean, the argument made more sense to me if they planned on stealing things _inside_ it, not the car itself. Someone planning on stealing a car wouldn't be put off by having to break in... right?

Or was it that a broken-in window would alert the authorities immediately? But such a conspicuous car – a bright yellow beetle. Who would steal that? I rubbed my temples, then above my brows. My head was pounding, something stress did to me. That and holding back the waves of emotions that were thrashing around inside.

Something rustled outside the tent and I jumped, taking a deep breath and prying my hands from my face. The faint glow of the lamp we set up in the middle of the tent reflected off the familiar boy's glasses. His face was stern. I swallowed and folded my arms, pinching again at my skin where he probably couldn't see.

**"****Hoshino-san... did you leave the door open?" **_Hoshino-san._ He didn't feel like going for Kanmuri-nee-san this round? Eh. I felt my mood darken along with my facial expression.

**"****I don't know."** I responded honestly, daring to look him straight in the eyes. He looked exasperated.

**"****You either did or you didn't."** I pinched my skin harder, flinching slightly. My fingernails dug in, and I had a feeling the mark wouldn't be gone quickly. I had a peculiar problem with my memory. I hardly failed to tell everyone around me about it. I guess I had learned the process of elimination so well that when there were only two options, my mind just gave up. There were no positive identifiers to recall what I had experienced.

I could ask someone a question, and recall my asking, and their face as they responded. Sometimes the words they'd say around before it. I would confirm without a second thought but the moment I walked away, even though I had repeated the answer just moments ago, I'd forget. It was either yes, or no. They did or did not. Do or don't. For the life of me, I couldn't remember. I just couldn't recall something that I could feel assured was the correct one. They had one of two answers, and they were both just as likely.

I closed my eyes, partly to calm myself down and alleviate the pressure of his gaze, and partly to attempt to recall the moment I left the car. I remembered seeing Ayumi already gone to catch up with them. I remember seeing that they had set up the tent, and that there was only Haibara available to join. But I couldn't remember shutting the car door. Or not shutting it. It was just one of those things you do without much thought. Surely I had closed it, right? It was a normal reaction to shut it behind you. That's just what you _did._ But I was still kind of sleepy...

**"****I just don't remember."** I muttered, my voice weak. I hate confrontation. I hate being hated, disliked, scrutinized. I knew my reactions in these situations made nothing better, but it was just me. It was just how I was.

**"****Surely you have a better memory than that."** My head snapped up, my eyes narrowed. Who are you to determine my capabilities?! I hate pain, too. By the time I got angry enough to release my own skin, I felt something liquid. Blood. It distracted my attention, draining the rage that had flared inside me. Everyone said I was supposed to be smart. But they didn't know me. And this kid sure as heck didn't know me. He had no right.

**"****You... I just don't know, okay? What does it matter?"** I asked while rubbing my finger against my jeans, trying to wipe off the blood. It was just a little scratch, anyway. He watched me, his own anger seeming to subside, suggested from the sigh he let go.

**"****It might help us determine if the person who took the car saw an opportunity and decided to take it for fun... or if they had other reasons and intentions." **I shivered, recalling the girl and the knife. Haibara's annoyed voice echoed in my head. I was over thinking this. I was being dramatic.

**"****When do we eat?"** I asked. He blinked, then frowned.

**"****Is that seriously the first thing on your mind?" **I shrugged, doing my best at indifference. In general, I was poor at it. But I could keep it up if I only had to do it for a few seconds. Probably a minute and a half, maximum. After a pause, he sighed again, his small shoulders sagging. He jabbed a thumb behind him, where the tent door was. **"****They're actually dishing it out right now..."** I waited for him to move, but he was staring at the ground, a thoughtful look on his face. After that he turned and walked out.

Among the many things I hated was being out of place. Like the moment I stepped out of the tent where I had been in solitude to be met with disappointed and angry faces, all with plates already made. I looked awkwardly from them to the pot of curry?, and the plates. And back. No one moved to help. No one said anything. I didn't want to be rude.

But I couldn't stand there all day demanding someone dish out my food so I wasn't alone. I silently forced myself to grab a plate and begin to ladle food onto it.

"Is the car really gone for good?" Ayumi asked quietly, concern in her voice.

"How did someone take it without us noticing?" Mitsuhiko added. I took another ladle-full and plopped it onto my dish.

"I'm sure the police will find it soon." Agasa tried to reassure them, just as quietly. I felt the urge to cry hit me again. So stupid. They were quiet because they blamed me for it. It wouldn't be something to discuss with discretion if they didn't consider me at fault. I clenched the plate tightly and seated myself near Agasa, but about as far as I could from everyone in general.

They were silent. I decided to whisper my prayer and took a bite. It was spicy. I hated spicy. I shoved more in my mouth, determining to make it through.

"Does it taste alright?" Agasa finally asked, looking over at me. I could see his hesitation. I smiled the best I could and gave him a thumbs up. He nodded, a small smile on his face. I returned my gaze to my plate, refusing to look over at anyone else.

"Do you think she knows what happened to it?" Genta suddenly asked. I stiffened. He had been the only one so far to be oblivious to the fact that I could understand them regardless of the fact they couldn't understand me. I shoveled more food into my mouth, ignoring the searing pain of spicy food in my mouth and now throat.

No one responded audibly, and I was still very concerned about the looks of my food.

"We could tell ghost stories." Agasa randomly suggested.

"I'm not really in the mood..." Mitsuhiko muttered. I could hear him kick at the ground. A dark and gloomy mood had officially settled over us. I waited for Agasa to get up, then followed his lead as to what to do with my plate.

Everyone helped with clean-up and began to settle into the tent for the night. I rolled out my sleeping bag near the door, but still felt that the environment was hostile. I heard something like "we would've heard it" and instantly opened my mouth, my words directed at the professor.

**"****I need to take a walk. I'll be back later."** I didn't care that he didn't know what I said. I didn't care if Haibara or Conan translated. I ducked out of the tent, walking up the slope a bit to where we had parked the car. The police had been by for a short while earlier, and I could barely make out something that resembled chalk outlining where the car had been – roughly. If Conan had assisted them, it was likely that it was _exactly_ where it had been. Gotta love geniuses. _And their perfect memories._ I couldn't help but feel a little spiteful. I took a deep breath, watching the sun begin to push below the horizon.

The wind blew against me, brushing my hair away from my face and giving me a sense of peace.

_**"What do you mean the car is missing?!"**__Conan yelled, running toward me with wide eyes. He closed the gap between us faster than I could ever hope to. I could see alarm on Haibara's face, too. She placed the utensils she was using down and began to trudge toward us, a cautious air about her. I looked back down at Conan, turning toward where I'd come from._

_**"The car! It was over there, right? It's gone now. Completely gone!" **__Conan looked pretty incredulous, but followed me anyway as I began to take us back to where I had thought I left it. He ran ahead once he got close enough to see that there indeed was no car. I heard a stream of cuss words leave his mouth as he swung his head to and fro, trying to determine where it had disappeared to._

_I jumped as a voice sounded behind me. __**"Did someone seriously take Hakase's car for a joy ride?" **__Her words seemed more to herself than to either of us. Our attention turned to the winding roads beyond. The other side turned into a dirt path mostly used for walking. No tire tracks could be made out from where we stood, and it would've been much easier to drive the car off toward the more mountainous roads toward town or even the middle of nowhere. More into the middle of nowhere, at least. _

_We went in the direction of the dirt path, deviating to ask campers if they'd seen or heard anything. I saw the girl in the pink shirt using the borrowed knife, indeed cutting vegetables. I could only hope Haibara wouldn't notice. _

_With no witnesses, we called the police to report the car stolen. They said they'd be on the look out in town, and they sent a patrol car to make the official report and do their own miniature investigation. Nothing really turned up. _

_Their attention turned back to me. __**"You were the last person with the car."**__Conan's simple statement hurt pretty badly. I nodded, though, because it was true. __**"Did you see anyone around? Did you leave the car open? Do you have any idea where the heck the car is?!" **__His string of question left me shaking my head profusely and storming to the tent. I didn't do anything wrong._

Another breeze brushed my skin and I inhaled deeply. We'd searched along the main road toward town somewhat, and saw nothing out of ordinary.

**"****Sound of Music."** I suddenly said, the thought making its way clearly to my head and my mouth at the same time. I had a thing with talking to myself. It helped clear up all those thoughts getting mangled up in my head. In Sound of Music, didn't they take the car and push it further down the street before starting it? It hadn't made any sound that way.

If, at the very least, the car was unlocked, it wouldn't be that hard to get the vehicle into neutral, right? I looked around again and sighed. Because that was totally going to help us locate the car. I let out a sigh. I began to walk down the dirt path, going in the direction of the water instead of the campers. I wasn't sure I was ready to face knife-lady again. Plus, no one was going to be prepared to see some random person walking alone while they're telling ghost stories.

I kept walking until I found myself overlooking the water, the last rays of the sun being reflected off the surface. I smiled to myself. God sure made a really beautiful world... I took another look around, absently noting that the path after this narrowed considerably, branching off into several different smaller paths. I wondered which one would take me closer to the water.

I began to inch toward the edge of the platform, craning my neck in a foolish attempt to see if I could determine which path to take down to the water. I shortly learned that there was a very, very easy and quick way to get closer. It involved me losing my balance and tumbling down the little cliff-like edge. I shrieked for a second, right before I actually fell. After that I was too busy being smacked with dirt and leaves and rocks and whatever else sharp and evil resided in the sharp slope downward to cry out.

I took a minute at the bottom, hearing the water lapping on the shore, much louder than it had been. I breathed, taking a mental check of any pain I was feeling. Although just about everything felt sore, it didn't hurt to breathe, and I was conscious. That was pretty good. I began to sit up, scrunching my face in disgust at the mud now sticking to my clothes. And my hair. And my face. I shuddered, finding the texture to be gross. It was much cooler down here than it had been up there...

It was with the last rays of the sun, staring up hopelessly at the place I had once stood, that I noticed something glinting from the trees. I recognized the yellow paint on a very familiar car. I squinted, not believing my eyes. The car was... in the trees?! Or bushes. Or something with leaves. It could very well be something else yellow, but considering that the vehicle had disappeared so shortly after we had left it, finding it so close by wasn't that much of a long shot.

I finally reached my feet, staggering from the resistance of the cold mud. I trudged toward the place I swear I had seen it, the light slipping underneath the horizon and the light fading. It was becoming harder to see.

It really didn't _look_ that far away, but after probably ten minutes of walking, I still felt as though I hadn't even moved from the place I fell to. It was getting even more difficult to see, and now I was swinging my arms in front of me to ensure I didn't run into anything. Something in the back of my mind acknowledged that it had probably been more than ten minutes if it was this dark, but I kept moving. I was going to confirm that this was the car, and tell them. Then they could stop treating me like it was my fault.

I think I was almost under the tree, bush, whatever mass of green life when I heard something crunch overhead. I froze.

"Shh!" My blood ran cold.

"You shh! Everyone's at camp or asleep, so chill out." I sunk to my knees, hoping that it was dark enough from their vantage point for me not to be noticed. I caught the shining of a flashlight through the leaves. It sounded like a girl and a guy.

"Yeah, but you can't guarantee that. The police were just out here." A snapping noise, seemingly much closer, made me flinch, cowering closer to the ground.

"And they found nothing. We have nothing to worry about." The man finished. I heard the jingle of keys.

"Still, I can't believe how lucky we are. Leaving the keys out in the open while the police were questioning everyone was a really dumb move." I felt the blood drain from my face. I finally placed the voice. "Do you think it'll start quietly enough?" She asked. I swallowed nervously at the sound of creaking, as if at least one of them had gotten in the car or applied more weight to whatever was holding up the car. I wasn't sure that it was all solid ground keeping it steady.

"We have to get this piece of junk out of here first, right?" He growled.

"Why didn't we just dump her already?" I began to tremble. I couldn't see anything. But they had just said _her_. Her?! Let's not go dumping bodies, okay? OKAY? Or killing anyone in the first place.

"Stupid. There's so many people out here, anyone fishing or swimming would find her fast. If we take her to the other side and dunk this junk metal with her, they'll figure whoever took the car killed her." There was a long pause after that, and my heart once again pounded in my ears.

"...but wouldn't that just lead back to us?" She asked, annoyed. "I can't believe I left the plan up to you."

"We were here when the car was supposedly gone for hours. They'd have to think it was someone else. Better yet..." I pried my eyes open after closing them in fear, seeing the light flash again through the leaves. Thankfully, it wasn't aimed toward me. "...if she was the one who stole the car."

"Eh? Wouldn't they notice she didn't drown? Like, autopsy or whatever?" There was more rustling above me, and I could only assume they were trying to move the car back onto the road.

"You hit her with a rock. Blunt force trauma, right? So she had a little accident, went over the edge. Technically died before she could drown for a cause of death. And then all the criminal charges would be placed on her in the end. _That's_ why you left the plan to me." More rustling. These people killed someone. Horror kept me frozen, now basically laying on the shore not far from two criminals.

"Sure." She grunted, and I heard another creaking noise. "But it sounded like you just came up with that..."

"You're the one who had to kill her right after we stole the car. I had to improvise thanks to you. Now shut up and help me get this thing on the road." Being down here wasn't going to solve anything. It wasn't going to stop these people from dumping a body or spare me in the case that the beam of the flashlight hit me by chance or on purpose. If they killed someone already, there was likely nothing stopping them from doing it again. I pushed myself back to my feet, crouched down to stay as low as I could while moving out of there as quickly as possible. The only immediate way to get back up was to climb, but if anyone knows anything about me, that wasn't likely going to end well.

I didn't have a cell phone, and the honorary Detective Badge I was given was sitting inside the tent. There was no way to call for help without screaming at the top of my lungs, and chances were that these people would kill me before anyone got to me. Or heard me. I kept going as fast as my feet would take me, which to my misfortune wasn't that fast, despite the fact I felt like I was running for my life. The sand, mud, whatever this stuff was made it super difficult to get anywhere fast. I kept sinking in with every step.

Conan usually caught these people, right? So somehow his detective senses would pick up on the fact that they were just down the road a half mile, right? I think it was a half mile. I don't know. When I began to think about it, it was far enough to not really stir anyone awake if the car did start. Since when were the keys missing? I didn't recall anything about that.

Finally, I stumbled toward a growth of trees and my feet hit the dirt path that led down here. I could only hope that it led directly back up to the larger path as I lunged forward, breathing hard. I grasped at my chest in a poor attempt to alleviate the suffocating pain. I was wheezing already. Asthma was becoming my worst enemy yet again. How was I supposed to make it back to the tent and avoid these criminals while my lungs made obnoxious whistling noises and I was gasping for air?

As right as Haibara was about the woman cutting vegetables, I was right about the whole murder part. Thankfully, it sounded as though she didn't use our kitchen utensil. I don't know if I could handle knowing that we gave a weapon to a murderer. I was now down to a fast walk, trying to straighten up and breathe as deeply as possible. My head started to feel light and I felt the familiar panic rising inside. The whisper that always came when I fought asthma. If I stopped forcing my lungs to take in air, I would die.

It was almost amusing now, as my pace slowed due to my inability to breathe, that either way it looked like I was destined to die. Either my lungs would finally close up all the way or the people moving our car would hear me and kill me because I witnessed their deed. Or heard about it. I don't know.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered that this had to be a dream. I cursed myself for not making my imaginary self free of asthma. I seemed to have 20/20 vision again and a much more anime-worthy body, but I had to leave out asthma? Really? I was now more or less stumbling around, cutting through the grass toward the camps, hoping that the car thieves wouldn't notice me. The closest group to where I was consisted of the people – at least the girl – who we had lent the knife to. I imagine if I went over there I would only find an empty tent. Or I hoped I'd see an empty tent and not a dead person.

The next one that I was aware of was ours, and scattered somewhere a little further back were a few other small groups. I just needed to find the detective. He'd know what to do. The ground beneath me dipped, my foot caught, and I slammed to the ground. With the wind knocked out of me, I began to cough. I pushed myself up, freed my foot, and started staggering toward our camp. I think I was close. I just couldn't breathe. Panic started to cloud my senses and I felt tears well up in my eyes.

Calm down. Just breathe in and out. Calm down. Crying will only make it worse. I hit a coughing fit, slowing me down even more and making me louder and louder. I could see the tent now, for sure. The little lamp in the middle was still on, but there were no shadows to indicate anyone was sitting up. They must be asleep.

If I didn't hurry, I wouldn't be able to speak. By now, it would be useless to try to force out a yell. It would probably come out as a whisper. My whole body felt weak. I really, really, really hated asthma. I broke into a jog, the urge to get as far away from the road pushing me forward. I reached the tent, gasping for breath. My hands were trembling, and I couldn't make my fingers grasp the double zipper that closed the tent door.

I couldn't breathe. I tried to speak instead. **"****Help..."** I wheezed out, barely audible to even myself – and my ears were good. I fell to my knees and began smacking the tent as hard as I could. Someone, please... Surely someone would notice the tent shaking.

"Who's there?!" Ayumi. Ayumi's voice shrieked, piercing. I silently thanked her for being so loud, and I could hear the others stirring. I took another hit at the tent door, feeling exponentially weaker. I slipped to the ground, trying to focus on breathing. If I could calm down, it wouldn't kill me. Just calm down.

The tent unzipped and a tranquilizer-dart-watch-armed Conan revealed himself. I could see him look down at me, confused. He switched his light on, blinding me. I would've groaned if my lungs would've permitted. "Kanmuri-nee-san?" I knew laying here wouldn't get them to catch the criminals before they dumped some girl in the water, along with our ride home. Haibara had stepped over me and came around my side, her expression grave. I felt her hand on my shoulder, and I'm fairly sure she was examining me.

I lifted my arm, pointing a shaking finger in the general direction of the car. "C...Car... cr...crim...criminals." I managed. Learning Japanese from a detective show taught you a lot of useful words for reporting crimes. I watched him whip his attention to where I had been pointing.

**"****You found the car?"** He asked. The kids were now out of the tent, gaping at me, and Agasa had brought the light out so we could all see better without the blinding white watch flashlight. I nodded, taking in another gasp of air.

**"****Calm down and take steady, deep breaths."** Haibara advised. I looked at her, remotely surprised to see concern reflected in those aquamarine eyes. I swallowed and took in one more deep breath to say the rest of what I needed to.

**"****Murdered... they murdered someone. Hurry."** I started coughing violently, and was worried that they hadn't understood me. But when I could hear more than my horrid sounds, I caught Conan's voice as he instructed the professor to call the police and took off down the road. I could see the conflict on Haibara's face. I wondered if she was going to leave my side, but after staring out toward where Conan had run, she looked back down at me. Her expression softened.

**"****Someone needs to keep you calm."** She explained, then reached up and brushed a clump of muddy hair from my face. A sudden movement caught her attention, and fear flashed on her face. "Don't! Stop!" She yelled, still on her knees next to me. "Hakase, get the kids!" She yelled again, her hand lifting slightly off of me, her fingertips still touching my skin. I noticed her shoulders relax after a tense few seconds. He must've gone after them. Her hand returned gently against my shoulder.**"****Do you have an inhaler? You seem to be aware of your asthma." **I shook my head. My head was pounding and my lungs hurt, but being stationary and only trying to breathe reduced my stress drastically. I could only hope that they'd catch those people before they got away. Or hurt someone else.

**"****I only had... some identification and a card. I don't … know what's going on."** I admitted, taking in another deep breath. Forcing another out. She sat next to me in silence for a few more minutes. As I stared up at the starry sky, I noticed her head turn more than once toward where everyone had disappeared. This wasn't that easy for her. I guess a thought struck her, since she suddenly looked back down at me.

**"****I thought you said you lost your memory..?"** For once, her tone wasn't accusatory. Perhaps she was keeping it under wraps so I would recover from my asthma fit faster. I was of the opinion that it was working.

**"****I know... my own tendencies. … I know where I was in America. I don't remember coming here... Or how I got here... Or how I got a Japanese name."** Was I revealing too much? Did it really matter? I just wanted to return honesty for the kind sincerity she was offering me.

**"****Your name did seem a bit..."** She trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing. I had been focusing on her words, and not hearing anything else made me painfully aware of the fact I hadn't actually breathed _out_ recently. I pushed the air from my lungs and took in another breath, a loud wheeze emitting from my lungs. I hated wheezing. It was just as cringe-worthy as the word itself. **"****We can always talk later."** She finished, shifting and sitting more comfortably on the ground. Apparently she didn't think talking was a good idea for me. It probably wasn't.

I was getting really tired, but my lungs wouldn't do me the service of opening up more. Again, the nagging thought came. _If I stop forcing myself to breathe, I'll die._ Stupid tears began to come to my eyes again as I tried to regain focus. Maybe talking was better. At least I wouldn't be so selfish with my thoughts, and then perhaps I wouldn't panic so much. She looked down again. **"****What's wrong?"** She glanced over me again, making me wonder if she thought it was likely I had more wrong with me than asthma. I was pretty pathetic, huh.

She faced death all the time. She had to deal with the pressure of the Organization finding her out, and not only killing her, but the innocent people around her. **"****I just... when this happens... I keep thinking about... if I can't make myself breathe anymore. That I'll die... It's nothing... compared to how you feel, though..."** The stupidity of that last comment didn't really hit me until I saw fear flash once again in her eyes. Her hand left my shoulder and she went back to her knees, almost as if she were preparing to flee. She swallowed, and a facade of impassiveness came over her features.

**"****Hoshino-san... what do you mean by that?" **Her voice was steady. We both flinched at the sound of sirens. She stood, watching for the approaching vehicles. I watched her, trying to think of a reasonable excuse for my words. Was it worth lying? My dream had to be ending soon, right? Why did this feel so real, then? Soon, I could see the flashing lights. She waved her arms above her head and moments later I heard people rushing toward us.

"The rest are further up the road." I saw her point. There was some more commotion and I heard tires hit the ground hard, peeling off toward the last place I had seen the criminals. "This girl is suffering from acute asthma exacerbation, she needs a corticosteroid. She's still been wheezing, but she's showing signs nearing life-threatening." All I knew was that those words were really big, and that "life-threatening" wasn't a good thing. I relaxed a little, though, seeing as there were paramedics here to help. It wasn't long before they took me over to an ambulance and put some sort of breathing thing over my face. After a few moments, relief permeated through me as my lungs opened up and for the first time in a stretch of time I didn't feel like thinking about, I could breathe without fear. While air was finally rushing freely in and out of my lungs, I could see Haibara staring at me. I felt exhaustion wash over me, the adrenaline from earlier nowhere to be found. My eyes began to close, and I felt a hand on my shoulder again, only this time it was larger – one of the paramedics. They said I could rest. And with that, I decided that it was probably time to go back home and wake up. My eyes closed and my mind went blank.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan.

I updated pretty quickly simply because it was already written :). Also, apologies since apparently everyone and their dog has jumped back on the in-DC train again. I haven't been reading anything in awhile and only realized this when I went to see where my story was on the DC page and saw like four others on the front page alone XD;; And also, this was a really, really long chapter. I just didn't have a good place to split it where I wouldn't be irritated. Of course, if I really wanted to, the story could end fairly safely here...

**Loyal DC Fan - **Thanks? Sorry? XP Any thoughts?

**Still-On-Hiatus - **Too much? I think not :) Yes! In my head, we would have so much fun, but if I really think about it, I would be having the worst time with Haibara because of the situation. Plus, I couldn't just force her to show the traits she only does on occasion. Thank you a hundred times over :) I'm glad you like the way they're portrayed... so far. I get worried with myself because when I get on a roll sometimes certain things start getting neglected and I really want the characters to be accurate if I'm going to write what seems to be a story everyone writes. It's so tempting :) I think I might get a bit looser with the idea to bring back some more fun. I tend to get serious and dramatic more often than funny. Muwahaha the sleeping during the dream thing is hard to deal with, but I think I would tend to believe it then believe I might be somehow in their world or dimension, or whatnot. I'm working on a sub-par theory for how this is working, but I'm not one for adventures to find this magical something or another that magically made something happen. Some things are just fine being inexplicable, but not to the annoying degree. About the car - I really didn't think too hard on that! It actually only struck me that it'd be incredibly difficult to make everyone fit... Though aren't there rules about something like a k-car or whatnot and how much weight and many people can be in the car? I just feel like sometimes they overload Hakase's car anyway... but Conan rides a powered skateboard on lots of things that should be illegal, too, so I opt to shrug it off XDD Haibara is meant to win all arguments in the first place XD I think you're one of the best reviewers I've had on any of my stories just because you respond to the whole story and the parts and actually think about it and tell me how you feel. It's exactly what makes me feel like sharing my ridiculous writings! Yay CoAi! And this fast-chapter posting is very much thanks to your wonderful reviews. P.S. - Psh, you should know that I'm not very intricate with these sorts of things - of course she is! XDDD (Or at least, partially is...)

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Until next chapter! Probably. :)


	5. Foreign Object

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan.

AN: Don't ask why I'm continuing this. Actually, if you wanted to ask, it's because I feel out of all of these stories this is _mine_ and though it's not the best, I don't feel wronged by writing it. Doesn't make sense? That's okay, just read. Sorry if it feels disjointed from the rest of the writing. Hope it's not disappointing.

Chapter 5 - Foreign Object

_I groaned, but the noise only brought more pain. I tried prying my eyes open, but I couldn't quite get there. It was like those mornings where I knew I had to wake up but somehow no matter how urgent I made the scenario in my head, my eyes wouldn't open, or I couldn't hold them open even long enough to see anything. I could hear loud noises, so loud that they blended together and were deafening. I felt something warm touch my hand, and though surprised, didn't physically flinch. Something louder was trying to beat out all the other sounds. Was it a siren?_

_No... it sounded more like a voice. Like someone was yelling at me. Everything hurt. My head was the one part that I could focus on as filled with pain. And... my neck. Yes, my neck hurt. I tried moving my lips, maybe formulating a question, like where I was. What happened. Why everything was so loud. Why I couldn't open my eyes._

_I couldn't do that, either. I felt like I was in one of those super-realistic dreams where something terrifying was about to happen but somehow I was paralyzed and only could snap awake after some dreadful feeling had already beaten me down. I tried swallowing, and it worked, even though it hurt really bad. Once more, I tried opening my eyes. I winced, only being able to perceive something blindingly bright. Again, I heard the muddled voice. Only this time... I made it out. My real name._

* * *

"Hoshino-san?" My eyes snapped open and I jumped, sitting up. I breathed in deep breaths, staring wide-eyed at an almost equally startled Haibara Ai. _What? _I swallowed, feeling no significant pain. _What was that..? Why am I still here? _Something sickening settled in the pit of my stomach. A feeling that this might be more than just an average dream. Like instead of snapping from that dreadful feeling and situation I was paralyzed in, I simply retreated further into the other parts of the dream that caused it. I broke from my daze when a tray was placed on a table next to the bed I was in.

**"****Sorry..." **I said slowly, recognizing that we were back at Agasa's place. Her eyes remained a bit wide, almost as if she were surprised that I apologized, or simply still trying to get over my outburst earlier. She didn't look like she completely hated me anymore, but she still seemed wary. Probably because of my stupid actions and words. Realizing that I might have to actually deal with this 'reality', I didn't feel like talking anymore. At all. She handed me the cup off the tray with both small hands wrapped around it. I took it, giving her a small nod of thanks.

**"****You said something... a few nights ago before the paramedics came. What did you mean by it?" **My eyebrows shot up, partially because I didn't think it had been _days_ since then and also because she usually hesitated to bring up these things more than once – especially directly. I sighed softly, staring down at the hot drink now in my possession.

**"****I just... because you had to be so brave for us all." **My excuse was half-hearted and  
I barely held back a sigh. Nothing about this felt funny or amusing anymore. Of course, she seemed skeptical. But what was I to do? I had theories that only Gosho Aoyama could ever hope to confirm or deny, and thusly there remained a good few things that were hers alone. I came from 'reality' and she came from a made-up world. If she knew I had read her diary of sorts, she'd be embarrassed and angry. Hurt. And were I to tell her that I knew her identity, sparing the details about her world being very much not real to mine, I would cause her fear. Or worse, they would promptly admit me into the nearest mental hospital.

I gave her a small smile. She seemed to be put at ease by my lack of normal apprehension. Haibara didn't offer one in return, but instead turned back to the tray. There was some sort of porridge looking thing still sitting on it.

**"****Edogawa-kun is going to come asking questions in a few minutes." **She warned quietly, turning and walking out of the room. I thought about taking a sip of my drink, but decided against it, setting it back down on the tray. I leaned my head back, studying the smooth ceiling. I shuddered, remembering the distant sound of my name being called.

Moments later, Edogawa Conan walked in with a somber look on his face. I did notice a slight shadow remain at the doorway, probably from Haibara. I couldn't blame her for wanting to hear what I might say.

**"****We wanted to wait until you were feeling up to it... I'm recording our conversation for the purpose of the police." **I shrugged, wondering in what world police interviews were done by seven year olds without an actual officer present. I guess this one, huh.

**"****Before you ask... what happened after I fell asleep in the ambulance?"** His face froze, blue eyes narrowing.

**"****What do you mean?"** His head tipped just maybe a centimeter to the side, his hair shifting.

**"****At the camp. What happened after that?"** His eyes remained narrow, looking me over. I wasn't up for this. I wanted to know why this depressing feeling was all around me. I wanted to know why I couldn't just go home when I closed my eyes. Why I had experienced that. Why several days had passed. This was old to me. It was fun for the first few moments but I couldn't take it anymore.

**"****You don't remember?"** He asked slowly. I sighed loudly.

**"****If I did, why would I be asking?"** My tone was sharper than I intended, but I didn't care anymore. I guess it would be odd for someone to keep losing their memory.

**"****They took you to the hospital just in case. We caught the criminals trying to dump a body with Agasa-hakase's car. They've been charged. After getting back possession of the car, we went to the hospital where you were awake. You were responsive to stimuli, but seemed... to be just keeping to yourself. We took you home and you've been resting and not talking to any of us until now."** I nodded slowly. I was awake to them. Was it possible that they had said my name?

**"****Then my name... you know it?"** I asked, searching his clearly confused ones. He looked even more lost.

**"****Of course... Hoshino Kanmuri..." **I chuckled slightly, however it was one without amusement. It wasn't them. They hadn't said my name. I pressed my head against the pillow and sighed again.

**"****Your questions?"** My voice was flat and monotone. I couldn't see his reaction and really didn't care to. There was a pause.

**"****Yes... It'd be simpler if you could start with what happened when you went for a walk. I can just ask questions for clarity after that." **I closed my eyes, memories of the exact dream I was in now coming back with startling detail.

**"****I needed some air, so I went walking. I walked down the dirt path toward the other camps and the water. I stood at the edge of the large path and looked at the water, watched the sun set. I started looking around for the right path to take down and instead fell. After recovering, I noticed something yellow in the trees. I went to see if it was the car, but it was pretty far away. By the time I got close, it was dark. I heard two people talking about how they stole the car and some other person they planned on dumping. I got scared and tried to come back and get you... or someone who could call the police. I somehow managed to go around far enough for them not to notice me and get help. The rest only you know." **

**"****They didn't notice you?" **

**"****I don't think so. I'm sure they would've tried to kill me... that's what people do when someone witnesses them trying to dump a body, right?" **Another pause.

**"****Since there was plenty of evidence when the police arrived and even a confession, the police won't need a further statement from you." **I opened my eyes, looking back at the ceiling again. I heard a faint clicking noise.

**"****Hoshino-san... who are you, really?" **Everyone's just getting bolder by the second around here, aren't they? I thought about being truthful. I really considered it. But if I was going to do that, it would be directly to Haibara first. Conan wasn't going to get the information this time.

**"****The star's crown." **I looked down at him, a grin forming on my lips. For the first time since I had woken up, I felt the depressing mood inside lift. He frowned. I don't think it took him long to figure out the literal English translation of my name. I lifted the cup from earlier off the tray and took a sip, pleased that it wasn't burning hot anymore. Conan gave me an annoyed glare before excusing himself.

* * *

"...can understand Japanese pretty well, she just can't speak much. So don't feel bad if you can't speak English." Edogawa Conan explained to a group of teenagers, who were staring at me like the foreigner I was. I glared at the boy, annoyed with being treated like an object. I guess it was fair enough, though, since I felt similar about them as characters. They weren't _real_. Except here, they seemed to be.

Mouri Ran. Suzuki Sonoko. Hattori Heiji. Toyama Kazuha. Apparently Heiji and Kazuha came into town to visit -cough- probably a case -cough- and were going to hang out with Ran, who invited Sonoko. Conan came via Hattori's invitation, and I was here... because the same Osakan who brought a seven year old with them on a teenage hang out thought bringing a twenty year old foreigner with a Japanese name would be fun, too. Ran and Kazuha had apparently thought it was a great idea so I didn't feel left out. I hadn't heard anything about Sonoko's feelings, but the way she was looking me over with pursed lips suggested she might not like my presence.

We were sitting outside a small cafe, drinking a variety of drinks at a round table with an umbrella over it. I got a smoothie, which was decorated with fruit slices in such a way that made me happy inside. Don't judge. The others had milkshakes, smoothies, teas, and iced coffees. You might be able to guess which little kid had some trouble with ordering his 'adult' drink. I guess we weren't going to get actual food at this place, but they seem to have some loose idea of a plan today.

I had moped around Agasa-hakase's house for about two days until the Osakan teenagers had come to visit. Maybe their happiness and energy was contagious, at least to a point. The whole situation was a good enough distraction, because I didn't have time to think about being depressed. A couple of things were keeping my spirits up right now. First and foremost was that Hattori's English was awesome, and he would fit right in accent-wise with the people in the area of the States I came from. Second, which was much less happiness-inducing, was that the one person I could sound perfectly like voice acting was displeased about me being here. Might as well, right?

**"****Have you been able to keep up with the conversation so far, Kanmuri-han?"** I smiled, a giddiness stirring inside. Hattori was just so easy to get along with.

**"****Yeah."** But I'm not that good at being outward in large groups of people, especially with those I'm not that familiar with. So I've mostly been answering in short sentences or single words. Plus, it'd be a pain for me to be talkative when people have to translate everything I say.

"You guys sure find a lot of foreign girls around here. How old is she?" Sonoko asked, looking past me and to the two males. I heard a flat 'heh, heh' come quietly from Conan. I smiled awkwardly and held up my left hand.

**"****Don't worry, Suzuki-san, I'm twenty and married." **Cue the shock. That was okay, though. I was used to at least that, along with the slew of people asking why I would do such a thing and if I had children. My sentence was simple enough for the highschoolers to understand – they had been taking English in school for quite awhile after all. Sonoko's shoulders relaxed after her wide-eyed, obnoxiously loud reaction. Suddenly, her face was overtaken by a big grin.

"What's he like?" I smiled, looking down at my hands.

Funny, I couldn't even come up with an image in my head. I felt warm at the thought of him, peaceful, secure. But those feelings were soon overtaken by the realization dawning on me. I was here without him. I hadn't even thought of him. I couldn't think of what he liked, how he looked, or even sounded. Nothing. It was all blank.

**"****Hoshino-san, you're married?"** I continued to stare down my hands, particularly focused on my bare left one. Conan gave up his question. He had already explained to the group that I had amnesia of sorts. I felt the atmosphere get awkward. Sonoko made a noise that expressed it audibly.

"Well... anyway, we should probably head to that movie if we want good seats!" She said, her hand slapping the table. Ran let out a soft, nervous chuckle. I came back to myself as everyone began to stand. I picked up my plastic cup, which was empty, and proceeded to the trash can. Conan reached up and plopped his in beside me. Right above the can was a sign in a hard plastic case with some business cards and applications.

**"****Haibara would probably be happy if I filled out one of these."** I said aloud, a bit to Conan but mostly to myself. I pulled one from the stack and folded it in half, tucking it inside my purse to fill out later.

* * *

I heaved a sigh of relief as I let go of the plastic shopping bags in my hand and fell face-first into my bed. I had never been a fan of shopping, but when every other girl is trying on stuff and telling you to, as well, it becomes awkward if you don't join in. The girls and guys split into different groups to shop for three solid hours before we met back up at a family restaurant. We waited at the table for twenty minutes because Kazuha and Heiji had a full-length arguing match over the phone and somewhere in it the message got mixed up. Heiji and Conan apparently thought we were meeting in front of the theater from earlier. Not sure how Heiji got that out of the screaming mess Kazuha was spewing, but whatever.

The movie had been a bit hard to follow. Although I had been able to understand everyone around me fairly well, the movie somehow seemed so much harder to make out. I guess it was a love story with some action mixed in. Kazuha, Ran, and Sonoko were sniffling as it neared its end. When I had looked over at Conan and Heiji, I wasn't surprised to see the Osakan's head lolled to the side with his eyes closed. Conan, however, was sitting rigid in his seat, but I couldn't see his expression from the massive glare on his glasses. I wondered if the love story part – where it seems the hero didn't get to be with the girl because he took too long to confess to her – was hitting close to home.

But now, at the professor's home, I could just sink my face into the mattress (though if I were to stop being so lazy I could enjoy the pillow instead) and feel the comforting promise of sleep. That kind of sleep that feels so welcoming to settle into after an exhausting day. Though it had been tiring physically, I was more drained from being around people all day. Some people feel energized around friends and whatnot, but it was just a giant energy-suck for me. Not that I didn't enjoy people and time spent with them, it just took the strength out of me for some reason.

I heard the door squeak on its hinges behind me, prompting me to stand back up and remove my face from the soft comfort of the bed.

"I assume you had a busy day." Haibara Ai stood in the doorway, her arms folded. I smiled sheepishly, realizing that she had probably walked by and saw me with my rear in the air as I smashed my face into the bed. That's flattering. So was the hair that had gotten static electricity in it and was clinging to my face.

**"****Heh... yeah."** Her gaze moved from me to the bags piled at my feet. Her displeasure seemed to increase.

**"****And had a shopping spree."** She continued in English. The sharpness in her tone was almost clearer to me in my native language. I lunged toward my purse to show her that I had gotten an application. **"****Goodnight, Hoshino-san."** The girl said flatly, turning to leave. I frantically pried my purse open and fumbled around for the paper. Finally, my fingers made contact and I pulled it out victoriously.

**"****I got an application for a-"** She was gone. I rushed to the doorway just in time to hear the distant sound of her heavy door closing at the end of the hall. **"****... job. A job, Haibara."** I muttered quietly to myself, turning around slowly and making my way back to my bed. **"****Whatever."** I kicked off my slippers and slid under the covers.

Taking a job meant permanence. Permanence in a temporary place like … was this really a dream? It hadn't ended. I began to fight to remember the last thing that I did before I woke up as a murder suspect in a fake world. I tried, but I was just met with panic on the inside. I sighed. My mind wandered back to Haibara's very recent rejection. It kind of reminded me of …

With vague remembrance of my sister, I drifted off to sleep, not registering the sounds of Conan and Agasa welcoming Hattori Heiji into the house.

* * *

I probably should sit here and reply to all the wonderful reviews I've received. However, I don't feel up to it. Just know I read them, appreciate them, and hope to hear from you again. If I write again, I'll respond to reviews the next time.


	6. You've Got Mail

AN: Here we go again. I don't own Detective Conan. Thankfully.

Chapter 6: You've Got Mail

_**"It doesn't have anything to do with you."**__The young woman's tone was sharp, matching the piercing look in her brown eyes. Her red hair was pulled up into a bun on the top of her head. A few strands of hair from shorter layers had escaped and hovered near her ear. She was wearing a black button-up shirt, tucked into black pants secured with a black belt. The shoes on her feet were also black, with some wear beginning to show. _

_I wore something similar – it was our uniform, after all. I looked much more disheveled, the bottom of my pants having food or something clinging to them, fraying slightly at the very edge. I had already taken my badge off, but my apron remained on, unlike hers, which hung on her arm. In her other hand, she held her server card. It was still attached to her belt with a green clip, a thin black thread on a mini internal winding wheel connecting the clip to her card over such distances. She released it and the card snapped back up to the clip at her waist._

_We stood in the farthest dining area in the restaurant, long since cleared of any guests. Only one room was open for dining, and even that was closing in about twenty minutes. The smell that I had quickly associated with my job permeated the air, originating not only from the kitchen, but from my clothes as well. I could hear the music from the kitchen blaring. They played it at obnoxious levels near closing time. They always disregarded us when we told them everyone – including guests remaining – could hear it in the dining rooms. I doubt it was appropriate for a family restaurant. Classical music fought for the ambiance of the room, but it just seemed like a bleak attempt._

_She looked down after having put me in my place. She was never like this toward me. I fought the sinking feeling of rejection and the production of tears in my eyes. __**"I'm sorry, I'm just worried. If he said that to you, why don't you report him to the police? Or at least tell the managers – you can't be expected to work with someone who's threatening-"**__I dropped my words immediately as the door to the kitchen swung open. My eyes focused on the floor as a tall, slender man walked by briskly with a tray hoisted high in the air. By the time he was out of earshot, a few other female servers had come out of the restroom. _

_**"Hey Tiff, let's get to that party now!"**__One of them said, her blond hair streaming down her back in a simple, straight ponytail. Instantly, I watched Tiffany's face turn from anger to delight. I marveled at her acting skills. Her red hair bounced a little as she nodded her head. _

_**"Yeah, I've been dying to get out of here."**__She threw me a little wave as she turned, the three heading down the walkway. The other two took no notice of my existence. I took a breath, watching in defeat as they disappeared out the door. As I began to return to the booth where I had stashed my belongings for a few moments, I felt something knock into my shoulder. Someone – rather._

_**"Mind your own business."**__Another word left his mouth, one that made me feel both angry and hurt. The tall man from before had practically shoved me into the table I stood near with no extra effort as he walked on by, the tray from before held at his side, now empty. I scowled at his back. Perhaps it was one of those looks people could feel, because he turned back before kicking the swinging door open. __**"Or else."**__He added. I felt my stomach drop, fear and anxiety beginning to take over, a drowning and panicking sensation flooding my insides. _I want to disappear. _That's all I could think as I leaned against the table and tried to slow my breathing. _

* * *

I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling. I felt as though I had dreamed of something unpleasant, but the only thing that I could recall was the familiar scent of the restaurant I had once served at. I left the thought, remembering that I had picked up a resume for a job similar to my old one. All feelings of any lingering anxiety left as I heard the crashing of a pan and Agasa-hakase's voice crying out. It wasn't a panicked noise – it was just an 'oops', maybe even a comical one. I got up out of my bed, adjusting my pajamas and running my fingers through my hair. I then shuffled out to the stairs and ascended, squinting at the bright lights in the main room.

"Nah, it's okay. We still got some things to figure out on this case, anyway." I blinked a few times, clearing my eyes to match the voice of Hattori Heiji with his person. He was seated on the couch facing away from the kitchen, his upper body turned, having been talking to Agasa-hakase, I presumed. Across from him was Conan, who was staring intensely at some pictures splayed across the table in between the two detectives. I turned my attention toward Agasa-hakase, who was picking up a pan and what appeared to be eggs that had fallen with the pan to the floor. Oddly enough, I was more surprised to see Haibara's figure seated at the counter, her fingers rubbing her forehead.

I ignored the fact that I looked awful and should probably put on some different, more flattering and less nightmare-causing clothes since we had a guest over, and strolled up to the seat next to Ai.. She flinched, then sighed. By the time I was situated on the tall bar stool seat, she had already picked up her coffee cup and was taking a long drink.

**"****Oh, good morning, Kanmuri-han. Remember anything today?" **I raised an eyebrow at Heiji as Conan's head snapped up and he began to gather the pictures that had been haphazardly spread out.

**"****Good morning to you as well, Hattori-kun."** I decided to take a page out of Haibara's book. She didn't seem to notice or care past the coffee cup still in her face. **"****As for remembering … I seem to have forgotten that you were so insensitive."** He made a face that I wasn't sure how to interpret. I think I heard a quiet 'Heh, heh' from Conan.

"You must have gotten the wrong impression yesterday. They're nothing but insensitive. Especially to one's privacy." Haibara hissed, a dark glare sent in their direction. She turned back to me, finally actually _looking_ at me. I held in a gasp of surprise, not accustomed to seeing such dark circles and bags beneath her eyes. Her eyes were also a tad bloodshot. "Although, that should mean you all will get along just fine." I winced.

"Now, now. Everyone calm down. I'll put on some more coffee and breakfast will be ready … soon." Agasa-hakase said, looking down at the pan he had begun washing in mild despair. I took a breath.

**"****So... have you been here long, Hattori-kun?"** The two detectives had collected all the things that had been out just a moment ago. I watched as Heiji jumped to his feet and walked across the room, the distance between us shortening at a pace I disliked. Something seemed weird about him, too, but I couldn't really pinpoint it. He grinned as he took the stool next to me and took the cup that Agasa-hakase had put on the counter in my general direction. By now, the professor should know that I don't like coffee. Either way, the older man gave a lingering look to Heiji and poured another cup, pushing it closer to me. I smiled politely.

**"****Been here for awhile."** He responded, finally. Conan took the last seat, on the other side of Haibara. Her expression turned darker when he took his place, but she remained staring into blank space, probably pretending she wasn't here. Must be an exercise in self-control. **"****Thought the kid here might like some detective training." **I snorted. Heiji took a long drink of the coffee. His face scrunched up a bit as he placed it back on the counter. "What did you put in this, otchan?"

**"****Did you already tell him?"** I asked, deciding that a room full of grumpy people who apparently had no sleep was the perfect time to be open about how I suspiciously knew about Conan being the mind behind Sleeping Kogoro.

"Is that a necessary question?" Haibara suddenly asked, agitation prevalent in her tone. Conan seemed to get nervous for a second, shooting a glare toward Haibara. One that said, 'don't you dare'.

**"****Ah, that you know he was helping out that Mouri guy? Yeah, yeah."** Heiji answered, his eyes glittering mischievously.

"Funny how the number of people who know keeps increasing." Haibara commented softly.

**"****Surely, he told you that I taught him everything he knows." **I flashed him a smile. He lifted the cup of questionable coffee to his lips again, clearly gloating.

**"****Actually, no, he didn't mention you at all. Maybe Kogoro's not the only detective getting secret help from a genius kid." **It was worth it. Beneath the sounds of Hattori choking on his coffee (which had been originally intended for me, might I mention again), I could make out Conan's snickering. In fact, I think I heard an amused "hmm" come from the girl next to me, but I could be imagining things. Once the teenager managed to clear his throat and slam the cup back down, his mouth opened wide. I watched his chest expand as he took in a deep breath, and I prepared myself for the raging storm about to be unleashed.

**"****HUH? Are you saying that I'm like that useless old detective guy?! I'll have you know, I'm a waaayyy better detective than him! I'm the Great Detective of the West! I don't need no kid running around and fixing my problems. Why do you think I'm here? Huh?"** I watched as he dramatically swung his finger toward Conan. **"****I'm here to help the so-called Great Detective of the East handle a problem living right under his nose. That's right. The oh-so-famous Kudo Shinichi needs **_**my **_**help."** I think it took me a little longer than everyone else to realize what Hattori Heiji had just done.

It took him just a second longer than me. He looked both angered and triumphant for a second, until his eyes wandered past me and to the two kids seated next to me. I could _feel_ their fear, like it had taken physical yet invisible form and was crawling up the side of my arm. Heiji's mouth slacked, the fire and pride diminished.

At that moment, as Hattori Heiji fumbled through words and both shrunken individuals were holding their breath, I made a decision.

**"****So... Kudo Shinichi asked for your help with Conan-kun?"** Yes, I'm a wimp. I turned to Conan, trying really hard not to start laughing at the pure shock on his face. **"****Is Kudo Shinichi the cousin you mentioned before? Now I know who you remind me of... You look really similar."** I could see Haibara let go of the air she was holding, while Conan instantly went to a forced smile.

**"****Y-Y-Yeah! That's what Heiji-nii-san meant."** His last sentence was a few tones lower than his first. Hattori laughed nervously.

**"****Yup, that's what I was saying. Aha ha ha ha... ha." **Just as everyone began to relax, and Agasa-hakase passed out dishes with omelet rice, I smirked.

**"****So... What did he need help with that made everyone stay up all night? Did it have something to do with those pictures?"** Another strained silence followed, both detectives sharing looks past me. Haibara had taken one bite, but now pushed her dish away.

"Thank you, Hakase. I have to get going." We all watched her get up and leave. To my surprise, Agasa-hakase didn't even put up a fight. Going? I noticed Conan check his watch.

"Actually... we need to leave, too, Hakase. Sorry!" My head whipped to and fro as both detectives left their breakfast and began collecting their belongings.

**"****What...?"** Agasa-hakase sighed.

They gathered up a backpack and an over-the-shoulder bag, which I think contained the pictures and stuff from earlier. Heiji grinned at me and waved as Conan opened the door.

**"****See ya around, Kanmuri-han!"** The darker-skinned detective called, still pushing his feet into his normal shoes.

**"****Uh... where are-"** The door closed. I turned back to Agasa-hakase. **"****What's going on with them?"**

…

Right. He stared blankly at me, then sighed again. I smiled weakly. The omelet rice looked pretty good. Steam rose lazily from the egg, and the top of the omelet was drizzled with some sort of dark red sauce.

"Bye, Hakase." I stopped before my second bite as Haibara's light voice traveled through the air. She didn't bother saying anything to me as she switched out her shoes and took off out the door. Whatever. There was just more omelet rice for me.

I moved the egg, chicken, and rice around in the sauce and brought it to my mouth.

I never want to feel that sensation again. I have no idea what Agasa put in that sauce, but it might have some relation to the sludge at the bottom of the coffee cups. He looked at me expectantly. Slowly, I lifted a thumb-up. His face lit up, then he dug into his own plate. I waited to see the twist of his expression when he tasted the awful whatever-it-was, but he just kept plowing through like the entire thing tasted great.

Maybe I had somewhere to be, too.

* * *

**"****Hoshino-san, what is this?"** Haibara stood outside my open bedroom door, holding a rectangular object in her hand with an attitude akin to that of disgust. Her fingertips barely held it in her grasp. I smiled.

**"****So, you noticed it!"** She glared. Her aquamarine eyes wandered down to the hallway floor beside my doorway, where a similar object rested.

**"****Again, what is this?"** Haibara didn't have much patience today. She had come home after being gone about six hours from this morning. Her dark circles had gotten darker, but the bloodshot eyes somehow had gotten clearer. Her general disposition gave away her lack of sleep, though.

What she held in her hand had originally been called a tissue box. It was now covered in construction paper and cut-out butterflies and hearts. MAIL was written across it in sharpie. Hers had blue paper, and mine had green. I liked blue much better, but I thought she might like it more. Haibara shook the box, the sound of the paper I had folded and placed inside the slot rattling around gaining my attention again.

**"****Isn't it obvious? It's a mail box!"** It was hard to take her anger seriously when she had on a cute light pink shirt with ruffles and a black skirt with some tulle beneath it. She looked adorable, and much more like an eight-year-old than an eighteen-year-old genius scientist.

**"****Hoshino-san. We already have one of those. You pass it every time you enter and leave this house."** I left my place from the edge of my bed and came up to her, plucking my box from the floor.

**"****This way, we can send messages to each other. Without postage. See? Just put it in this little slot here and we can communicate like our own little operation!" **Alright, so I know I sound like I'm … ten. But if she wouldn't talk to me in person, and I couldn't find the words or courage while she walked away all the time, maybe we could try by written word. It was worth a try. She shoved the box she held into my hands.

**"****I do not wish to communicate with you via tissue boxes. Goodnight, Hoshino-san."** I frowned as she walked back down the hall. I walked back to my bed and sat my box down next to me. I took hers in my hands and fished out the paper inside.

_**Dear Haibara Ai,**_

**_I know this may seem strange, but maybe you will listen to me if I write something to you that you don't have to openly acknowledge. We could communicate like this, even if we're not exactly happy with each other. My sister and I used to do this when -_**

Yep. My letter. Totally unread. I folded it and put it back inside. On my nightstand, a little sticky note pad resided. I peeled one off the top and smacked it onto her box. _**You've got mail!**_ I wrote. I then picked up both boxes, stood up, and dropped mine back by the door.

Sometimes, I could manage to be obstinate in the face of rejection. I marched down the quiet hall and placed her box by her lab door once again. Maybe, if she knew no one was watching, she would take the time to just try to listen to me. I stared at the box for awhile. Even with my sister, it wasn't something that lasted long, but we enjoyed it. I think.

Either way, I went up the stairs to my room and closed the door. Neither Conan nor Heiji had come back to the professor's house today. I couldn't help but wonder if they were looking into something concerning me. But then why was Haibara involved? Was there a new lead on the Black Organization? I sighed, staring across my dimly-lit room at the folded application. I hadn't done much more than mope and try out Hakase's new games all day. I thought they were pretty cool, and he said something about me being a good assistant. That made me happy.

I laid back on the bed, not bothering to get beneath the covers. It was hot. I didn't feel like sleeping. But I didn't feel like being awake either. I focused on the muffled sound of the television playing the news in the main room and closed my eyes.

* * *

Sorry for not responding last chapter.

**Loyal DC Fan - **I do have asthma! It sucks, doesn't it? Thanks :)

**Still-On-Hiatus - **Drama tends to get me. I really enjoy your reviews and I think your insight is awesome. I will admit, though, that I was a bit intimidated with the idea of continuing the story. I tend to destroy stories when I continue, and it was technically an okayish place to end. I really hope that I haven't completely lost your interest in this story. As for the encouragement concerning asthma, thanks. I don't get bad flare ups or whatnot that often anymore, but I used to stay up all night long during the summers just trying to breathe. I was dumb, though, and was scared of my inhaler. I tried to fix it by myself, but it didn't work that well. I was so miserable. When I got older, I got really sick and had phlegm build up in my lungs and started wheezing. I felt like I was really going to pass out or something and finally took that stupid inhaler. It relieved it almost immediately and from there on out, I've been able to take it. It just makes me feel ... kinda weak and useless sometimes. Everyone kind of gets annoyed if I can't complete tasks with them because I can't breathe, or I can't handle strong perfumes or smells because I'll start wheezing and stuff. Hey look, I rant, too! Did you see the thing about the name? Don't kill me if it's wrong, I had the unfortunate problem of relying on Google translate and wikipedia I think?

**JackFrost14 - **Thanks! You should revisit and review ;)

**SmileRen - **Hey thanks for encouraging me to continue. I feel like I have an idea brewing because of you! Hoshino tends to bring unfortunate circumstances on herself. What are your thoughts this round?


	7. Shopping Plague

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan. Never claimed to have.

AN: I'm pretty sure all but one of my old reviewers has either died or been so disappointed that they gave up. I'm sorry.

Chapter 7: Shopping Plague

"You have _got_ to come with us!" I'm not really sure how I ended up in this conversation, or this place. Somehow, there was an ambush in the morning with two teenage girls, talking animatedly at 9:00am. To the rest of the world, this might be acceptable, but to me, it was like an explosion at 5:00am waking me up before work or something. In shorter words, I like sleeping in. A lot. I think somewhere between being pushed around, having my hair messed with, clothes gone through, and food shoved toward me, I passed Edogawa Conan and Hattori Heiji. Didn't anyone go to school around here? By the time I was forced into being ready by over-zealous young women, both detectives were gone. Or at least out of sight. Haibara hadn't surfaced at any point.

"Conan-kun told me you were having a hard time adjusting since you lost your memory, and this would be the perfect opportunity to get your mind off all the bad and just have some fun!" I stared at Mouri Ran, who had somehow managed to mirror the level of the Suzuki heir's enthusiasm.

**"****So … this was Conan-kun's idea?"** We may have overlooked the fact that I still couldn't speak much Japanese, despite understanding it. Don't ask me how that works. They had gotten used to it, and at a high school level, they were pretty good at English – at least in writing and reading. Comprehension was fairly good, too. I guess it was a saving grace for both sides that neither had to speak anything but our native languages.

"Eto... Conan-kun told us about your hard time, so … yes? We just thought it would be fun to have girls' day. Tonight, we'll be joining back up with everyone, though." Ran's eyes started to get a distant look in them. Sonoko was a master at reading her friend.

"Forget about that stupid Shinichi-kun! You're going to look _hot_ tonight! We're going to have to fight those rich young bachelors off!" Sonoko's arms extended just past my nose in a pseudo-karate chopping motion of some sort. The corner of my lips turned upward on one side as Ran's face grew red. She muttered something, but I couldn't make it out. I'm not really sure that Sonoko did, either, but she lowered her combatant arms and made a self-satisfied noise. She turned to me with a grin. "So will you, Kanmuri-chan! You'll have to make that husband of yours come find you!" I smiled uncomfortably. Maybe joking with Ran about Shinichi being her 'husband' was fun, and subsequently turning it around about jokes of unfaithfulness was harmless, but I was a different matter.

"What about Makoto-kun, Sonoko?" Ran suddenly retorted. Sonoko's facial color began to match Ran's.

They engaged in banter related to guys, the tickets Sonoko had been waving in my face for the past few minutes resting on the table we sat around, pinned beneath her slender fingers. I wondered if they believed me. That I had forgotten everything – almost everything. That I was married but I didn't remember hardly anything about my husband. I doubt they meant any harm to me. The more time I spent thinking about it, the more I questioned myself. It was as if thinking on it chased the fragments of memories away, and I was beginning to think that perhaps this world was more real than the one I feel I belonged in.

My attention was snapped back when I felt the corners of the glossy tickets poke at my hand. Sonoko had pushed them toward me. I looked up at her, right into inquisitive eyes beneath bent eyebrows. "So, you're coming, right?" I heard her voice, a combination of curiosity and impatience. I took in the glimmer of the sun that hit her light brown hair, a cut that expressed the sass contained inside her. I breathed in the morning air, tainted with the scent of coffee and sugary things somehow passing as acceptable for breakfast. I felt like something clicked. Like a form of self-awareness had decided to leave. That I was allowed to be blissfully ignorant. Like this world had gone from fabricated to authentic. I smiled, a sudden peace washing over me.

**"****I'd love to."**

* * *

I was so drained. Ran, Sonoko, and I had finally sat down at a family diner for a late lunch. We had gone shopping for clothes, mostly for the party thing tonight. By the dresses we got (mind you, both Ran and I were practically forced into choosing the ones that Sonoko liked for us), I would say that this party was at the very least upscale. But who wouldn't expect that? It was a party where Suzuki Sonoko was attending (and her family was a major part in hosting) and tickets were required. Sonoko was still going on and on, practically bouncing out of her seat. It was like shopping gave her even more energy. I just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Okay, so, we meet at my house for make-up and hair before we go tonight. But we have to hurry. Otou-san arranged for a special car to take us." A special car? Just how fancy was this event? Come to think of it, I don't really recall Sonoko's house. She was always over at Ran's or at a villa or resort or something. "I got Ayako-nee to agree to help us!" I raised an eyebrow. Ayako-nee?

My confusion must've been evident, since Sonoko began to explain. "Ayako-nee is my sister. She was the head of make-up and costumes in a film club while she was in college. That's where I got my skills." Sonoko grinned and pulled some of her hair away from the side of her face as if to reveal the makeup on her face better. I smiled.

**"****Are you sure she'll be alright with a stranger like me?"** Sonoko acted shocked, an over-exaggerated gasp coming from her lips and her eyebrows shooting straight up. Ran chuckled softly from her seat next to me.

"Stranger?! Who? You're my friend. Ayako-nee will be totally cool with you." Ran shifted, placing some of her long hair over her shoulder. It brushed me as it passed, the soft texture somehow unexpected. She didn't seem to notice and had leaned a bit closer to Sonoko across the table. Her fingertips rested on the rim of her iced coffee, the straw poised between fingers.

"It is a bit strange, though, Sonoko. For Ayako-san to help us... at your house, too. Are you sure we won't be imposing too much? We could always meet at my place." Sonoko frowned, but sat back in her seat further, bringing her drink with her and to her lips. She took a sip, then held it just a few centimeters away. Her eyes looked somewhere past us, and we both waited for her conclusion. Suddenly, she snapped back, an easy smile on her face.

"No worries! Ayako-nee thought it would be fun and okaa-san and otou-san are going to be at the party way early to oversee stuff. They'll be long gone. Plus, there's some secret celebrity guests on the list." Sonoko lurched forward, placing her drink back and leaning almost completely over the table to get as close into our personal space as possible. Ran stayed still, having already been leaned in some. I moved back just a little, disliking the disturbance of my bubble. Her light green eyes flitted between us before continuing in a hushed voice. "They won't even let me take even a peek at the VIP guest list. There was a rumor that my uncle invited..." I winced the moment I noticed her suck in a whole lot of air when she paused. "... Kaito KID-sama!" Her voice was still considered a whisper, but it squeaked something terrible.

"Eh..." Ran managed, her tone something between disbelief and feigned amazement. Sonoko didn't seem to care as she finally returned to her side of the table and bounced up and down a few times. I suddenly had a sinking feeling when she gazed at me, a weird look in her eyes.

"So, I figure that KID-sama already knows all these VIP guests since he's such a connected individual. I thought it might grab his attention if someone he doesn't know – that _no one_ knows – came in with me. He'd naturally want to get acquainted, and once he finds himself in our circle, I'll capture his heart and remind him of all the encounters we've had. With him being an invited guest, he'll be able to feel more at ease to spend time with me. And then we'll dance, and..." She hugged herself, swaying side to side with her eyes closed. It didn't take long for her to begin humming some sort of song to herself. I looked over at Ran. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Ano... Sonoko? Surely a lot of people brought non-VIP guests. After all, Conan-kun and Ai-chan have tickets. How would this be any different?" Despite the innocent tone and nature of the question, I noticed a tiny pull at the corner of Ran's lips that might suggest she enjoyed destroying her friend's ridiculous plan. But Sonoko would not be thwarted.

"The glasses brat is a well-known KID-sama chaser. Of course, my uncle would invite him. Your dad is the great Sleeping Kogoro. Even the professor, Agasa-san, is kinda famous for all his inventions and stuff. The creepy little girl is his plus one since he doesn't have a date. It's not like they don't have obvious connections. But, just as a precaution, Kanmuri-chan here is an upcoming idol here and is a successful actress and singer in America." I choked on my drink, which I had picked up during her somewhat derogatory explanation of guests and their connections.

"Sonoko!" I heard Ran's voice exclaim.

I coughed for a few seconds. Ran began patting my back in concern, though that made it feel worse.

**"****I'm sorry, did you just say that I'm an idol here and an actress and singer in America?"** I managed, clearing my throat a few times between my disbelief. **"****You must have mistaken something!"** It didn't take that long to recognize that I had been put in an elaborate scheme by one Suzuki Sonoko, and I had bought into it already.

"No, no. No mistake! I casually spread rumors about this mysterious actress and singer that was visiting from America that I was bringing. I also may have added that she was gaining popularity here and might extend her stay. No one knows your name, but if the heir of the Suzuki family is bringing such an interesting guest, you're not suspicious – you're mysterious. And a mysterious guest will definitely get KID-sama's attention!" I frowned.

I'm a terrible actor. I don't sing that well. I don't like deceiving people. I don't like being used. I focused on a building across the street through the window, trying to not become overwhelmed.

**"****I don't even speak Japanese, Sonoko-chan." **I managed, trying to not sound as angry and scared as I was. The reality of what she wanted me to do was becoming more and more evident. Me, one of the most awkward people in existence, was supposed to go to a fancy party with tons of famous and important people and pretend to be important, too. This was a nightmare once again.

"It'll be okay! It'll be so much cooler that way, anyway!" Ran put her hand gently on my shoulder.

"Kanmuri-chan, it's okay if you don't want to. I know Sonoko can get a bit... carried away. I'm sorry, I didn't know she was planning this." I fought a lump in my throat as panic continued to rise.

"Hey … I didn't mean to make you upset..." I heard Sonoko's voice, surprisingly apologetic. I must look like a basket case for her to feel that bad. I swallowed and took a shaky breath.

**"****With that kind of expectation, I'm sorry. I can't go." **Sonoko opened her mouth like she might plea with me again for my cooperation, but I noticed Ran shoot her a look that caused the short-haired girl's mouth to close back.

"It's alright. We probably need to get going, anyway." Ran said gathering her purse. Sonoko didn't say anything. She sighed a bit louder than necessary, but other than that, she left it alone. I got up after Ran and Sonoko, feeling both relief and guilt. I hated disappointing people.

* * *

When I got home, I noticed that the place was completely empty. I had to use the key they (begrudgingly) gave me to get in. I called out, just so I didn't do anything awkward thinking people were gone when they weren't. No replies. I sighed heavily, locking the door behind me and bringing yet another shopping bag to my room. If Haibara saw me again, she might kill me. Or just never talk to me again. I guess I could complete the stupid application. But without much more than an ID and work experience at a place that didn't exist here, I doubt they'd take me. I passed through my bedroom doorway, dropped my bag with the others from yesterday, and froze. Had I seen that right?

I backed up and leaned down. There was my box, my makeshift mailbox. I noticed a colored paper peeking out from the slot and I quickly grabbed it up. She responded! I pulled the folded piece of paper out, feeling giddiness rise inside of me. I closed my eyes as much as I could, so as to not try to read it while I was unfolding it.

With it completely unfolded, I read the message. It was written in large Japanese characters with sharpie that bled through in small spots.

_Baka._

My heart sank. Ha, ha. Very funny. I crumpled up the paper and threw it across the room, laying back against my mattress. Today sucked. I heard the lock on the front door turning, the sound obvious in the otherwise silent house. I sprung to my feet and shut my door. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset over her stupid note. I took this opportunity to begin hanging up clothes from my shopping days before Haibara had a chance to notice. First to go in was the dress meant for tonight.

"... sure about this?" Conan's voice sounded outside my door, probably further up the hallway before the steps. I froze, realizing that other than my shoes at the front door, there was no indication I was home. The daylight cast enough light for me to see in my room and I hadn't turned the light on yet - it felt more peaceful this way.

"I was invited as a guest with Hakase, Kudo-kun." Haibara's voice. They definitely didn't think I was able to hear them, even if they knew I was home. I think Haibara was right outside my door, maybe a few steps in one direction or another. I heard Haibara cough a few times.

"Haibara." His voice was low. Serious. "There's a chance that … _she'll_ be there. It's not safe." There was a pause. Did they realize I was here? Did they move to another area of the house? I let myself take a breath, even considering taking a few steps to the door. I threw that thought out when Haibara's voice continued.

"So, it's safe for you and that other detective fool to go? I'm not sure when you got so friendly with our enemy. My name has already been submitted – Hakase didn't think there was a problem. I'd like to keep it that way. Even if she was invited, she's been laying low. Unless you have some information otherwise." Who were they talking about? It couldn't be me – no one was 'friendly' with me. And if I were an enemy, I don't think she would stand me being here so long.

"Haibara..." Conan's voice betrayed his lack of cooperation with her. I held my breath once again when I heard a sound as if something had come in contact with the baseboard on the other side of the wall.

My box. I heard the sounds of the box turning in her hand, the paper decorations making that annoying distinctive noise. The baseboard-contact sound occurred again.

"See you later, Edogawa-kun." Haibara said loudly. I heard her footsteps retreating. I didn't hear Conan move, probably confused. But he didn't put up much of a fight, and within the next twenty seconds he, too, left the hallway. She probably realized her mean little note joke was missing. They must have come inside in a hurry to not notice my shoes, considering Conan's supposed to be so detail-oriented and Haibara is paranoid at almost all times. I guess that much should've been clear – the tone of their conversation had been so tense.

I returned to my bed, sitting on the edge. I still held a shirt I bought yesterday, running the material through my hands. Sometimes, I just got _feelings _about things and especially people. I was, according to a dear friend of mine, cynical by nature. He told me once that the sooner I came to grips with it, life would make more sense. Or something like that. I don't know if that applied to dreams or not.

I took a second to think on my friend, but once again, the thought would go no further, just a vague remembrance of the words. No face. No distinctive voice. Nothing. But I did remember … he said that I scared him. Because even when he was really good at hiding his feelings, it was as if I was feeling them, and I would come to him about it.

I closed my eyes, trying harder. It seemed to me that the natural occurrence of memory connected with a thought or idea connected me with something I just knew. Like, if it was a part of my identity. I knew what I liked, and I knew I was married, and I knew I affected people and they affected me deeply emotionally. I just... can't remember their names. Or what they look like. Or anything useful.

Either way, I had that feeling. That feeling that Haibara was about to do something stupid and painful. I stood up, placing the shirt down on the edge of the bed. I couldn't just do _nothing_. Sure, there was no conclusive evidence that this feeling held any merit. There was also about zero likelihood that she would listen to me. So, I was going to do something that would either help her, or make her hate me. At the very least, it was going to make me look like an idiot.

I was headed out again. To go shopping.

* * *

Oh my goodness, is this... a plot?! Thanks to the random people adding this to their favs and follows... If you have time or even an ounce of inspiration, please review. Yeah. It's come to the point where I'm asking for reviews. Shame on me.

**SmileRen - **If I did, I think my only reader would already know what's going on, and the suspense (should there be any) would be completely destroyed. AKA, no fun :D She does have a bit of short-term memory loss, but it's not too terrible. It usually happens in stressful situations or stress she puts on herself. But it might speak to something else just a bit... Muwahaha. Anyways, any thoughts?


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